Requiem of Time
by Aura Depths
Summary: Part 3: Sequel story to Midwinter Dream. This portion is open POV, and continues to the very end. Finally, the achievement of a stable, strong, passionate, and long lasting relationship, and what they endure to both attain and maintain it. Sessh/Kagome :D
1. Life

**:NOTICE:** This story is a **sequel**. Its predecessor is called Midwinter Dream, which is the sequel to Spring Fever. If you don't mind being a tad confused, then by all means continue reading. Otherwise, the story order is Spring Fever, Midwinter Dream, then Requiem of Time, and I pray to anyone who loves me that there is not going to be a forth...

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Inuyasha series, as it is copyrighted to Rumiko Takahashi, and her original characters are hers as well.

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**A/N:** ... It's a trilogy... No one should ever have so much time on their hands as to have a _trilogy_ **fanfic**... ... Well, at least it's fun! And if _anyone_ asks for a forth part it means that, deep down, you hate me and desire that I go completely insane. Truthfully, I thought this story was going to be ten chapters when I first started, but nooooooooooooooo... Instead, my mind latched onto this story and so far refuses to let go, so thusly we have part number three, which is going to be OH so much fun!

Also, in case some of you are hoping, YES, these two are getting hitched big time in this story. There will be lemons and limes everywhere, I can smell the citrus already. ... By the way, _why_ are they called limes and lemons?? I mean, get some club soda in the mix and you've got yourself Sprite or 7Up, which is wrong in **so **many ways. And if you add tequila, well, then things get funky and Sheng would have to stop by. :D Anyway, I have NEVER heard of someone EVER having limes _or_ lemons present during sex. That's right, I said it. I don't care how old you are, you can read ratings just as well as I can set them. -points finger at you in accusatory manner- And if you are underage, looking for lemons to read online... Then I must say you are completely normal (society just doesn't want you to know that). Just read though, don't practice, because sex (I said it again!) is usually _very_ disappointing and painful, so don't be a bad girl for nothing. :D Then again, if you're a guy reading this fic, then by all means, take notes!

Anyway, for those of you who don't know, this part of the story is indeed **open** **point of view**! I tried to avoid it for this story, in case you couldn't tell by the first two parts, but I digress that I also hate at times just doing one POV. It's hard not knowing what the other person is thinking, and I had enjoyed that element because it forced me to actually think and be creative on how the portray the other's thoughts without being too out of character. I think I've already done too much damage to their characters though, in certain regards, so please, if you're a new reader, I highly recommend that you read the other stories as well.

Alright, last thing. I'll say this again for when I actually do start school, but updates will start to be more spread out. I know, I don't want it to take that long either. I'm thinking perhaps one per week, rather than one every three(ish) days, but we'll see.

So, what are you reading this for? The chapter's down there. :D Enjoy! And I still love reviews!

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**Chapter 1**

**Life**

Sesshomaru found himself staring at the spot where Kagome had disappeared under the horizon of the hovering o-shiro. She was gone from his life again, and it left him itching to go and retrieve her. It always bugged him of late to be without her. She needed some time to herself though, so that kept him rooted to where he was. It happened to be a good place to stand and think things through.

He heard the nearby rustle of fabrics before a slight weight descended on his upper arm. Glancing over, he saw the usually infuriating woman who gave him life.

His mother didn't smile, but she was happy over this. "Well done."

She gave the side of his arm a slight squeeze and then walked away, heading for her quarters. It was through watching her leave that he acknowledged the true mass of onlookers which had gathered, everyone from no longer sleepy servant children to humbled council members, and Sheng was approaching like it was his turn for a comment.

The old yōkai came to stand at his side, and for the time being said nothing. He was stargazing.

...

... ...

"Young love is not always pretty," the elder finally stated, clapping Sesshomaru's shoulder very sportsman like. "Come. We have some things to discuss."

"This Sesshomaru does not-"

"I know," Sheng interrupted rudely, waving it off with his hand. "You are coming regardless, least you wish to be hauled away by your ear."

Sesshomaru spared the man a glare, but knowing the old geezer probably could and would follow through with it he followed.

"Um, my lord?" Jaken asked, running up as Sesshomaru passed. The little toad fell back and to his side, completely out of his peripheral where he belonged. "Did I miss something while I was gone? I don't understand. You hugged a miko. I didn't hear anything verbally exchanged between the two of you, but... She cried on you!"

Sesshomaru ignored the squat yōkai and continued forward. Soon, one of the servant brats tried to yank the Staff of Two Heads away, and that gave Jaken something better to do than bite at Sesshomaru's ankle-level patience.

"Now then," Sheng sighed as they sat in a room always prepared for the counselor's visits, two sake cups being filled to appropriate levels. Sesshomaru was impressed that, despite the resilience of their race, Sheng never had a liver failure. The old yōkai lifted his cup and held it aloft. "Here's to a splendid future."

Sesshomaru quirked his brow at the old fool, pinching the ceramic container between his thumb and fingers.

"Do not leave me hanging," Sheng almost growled. "Do you want a good future, or not?"

... Sesshomaru lifted his own cup, and Sheng clicked them together and drank. Sesshomaru finished the dose without even wincing. He was quite proud of himself, though he couldn't remove an odd burdening weight from his spirits.

"Alright," Sheng stated, setting his cup aside. "That is all. Good night."

Sesshomaru blinked. "That is it?"

"Yes," was the reply. "Unless you wish to drink to a hundred other things life has to offer."

Sesshomaru shook his head, and stood to leave.

"By the way," Sheng began, sounding carefree. Sesshomaru knew that couldn't be it, and waited to hear the rest of this meeting. "I suggest you set honor aside, and do what needs to be done about Chiro. Your mother's creativity should not restrict your options."

"Such is already on the agenda," Sesshomaru commented, leaving. When he entered his own room he was greeted with the smell of lovemaking and a hit of boastfulness. It sickened him.

"How did things go?" Chiro asked, sounding merrier than usual. The woman had played a game with Kagome?

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. She was happy about this. "You are dismissed. Permanently."

The female was clearly shocked, and she sat up quickly from her sensual lounge on his bed. "What??"

"I will have my mother assign you to another duty here at the o-shiro, unless you wish to be transferred to China in order to continue your current profession."

He pitied the girl who surrendered her reproductive life for four years of pleasing him, but such an emotion was one he extremely rarely ever heeded. Chiro was removed, and he slept alone that night. Sesshomaru needed the rest to free his mind from the uncertainties it had been plunged into.

He glanced sideways and stared at the door. He could see her, the lovely woman who made him laugh. He could see her skin pale and her muscles slack. He heard both her breathing and her heart stop at the same time, and he watched her turn and land numbly against another man.

Sesshomaru rubbed his eyes with a hand and looked away. He felt like a fool. A complete and utter fool. He should have known this would happen. He should have done everything he could to avoid it, such as remove Chiro from his life or verbally tell Kagome how he felt since her senses were dull compared to his. At the very least, he should have gotten out of bed and gone to her that night, before she screamed; a sound which represented something dying and yet was slowly killing him. Everything he should have done... But for the first time he had found himself frozen. He had never been unable to move before. Impending doom made him act whereas it fixated others, and immense fear and shock were not factors in his life. Then, the one time he wanted to move, so desperately that it made his muscles clench, and he couldn't. He just stared at her as some silly relief lit her face for a brief gap in time, and then he remained staring when Chiro stirred and rolled at his side to stare at their visitor.

The goal was to sleep, but Sesshomaru found that to be quite evasive. He hadn't slept for two days already, and after four years of conditioning himself to sleep every other night going this long left him feeling heavy and drained the next day.

"You look like hell," Sheng commented, sharing the room with Sesshomaru as they waited for more council members to arrive. This topic was going to be interesting, because basically what everyone saw was him letting the Shikon no Tama leave.

Sesshomaru gave the man a flat look. "What did you say was not always pretty last night?"

Sheng smirked, and the third person arrived.

"Hello, Chao-san," Shu Fang greeted. "I see that sleep has evaded you?"

Sesshomaru just stared at her. He was too weary to frown.

She smiled warmly at him. "For four years you retreated into your thoughts and began to sleep more. Today you cannot sleep and you wear your emotions on your sleeve."

_Now_ he frowned at her. Confounded wench.

"Shu Fang, now is not the time for your charming sense of humor," Sheng informed.

"Of course," she replied, taking her seat. "My apologies. I will try again in... What was it, two weeks?"

... Sesshomaru was in the middle of deciding whether or not he hated that woman when Tao entered the room.

"Sesshomaru!" the jolly fat man greeted happily, shocking everyone for the lack of the nickname. "You have warmed my heart! It is good to see you finally falling for a girl worthy of your time."

"Do not kill him," Sheng mildly ordered Sesshomaru, who had merely twitched his fingers. Everyone there was getting on his nerves...

"Good morning!" his mother practically chirped. "Today is a great day, no?"

Everyone looked when Sesshomaru stood and walked for the back door. He had a toad to kick.

"And where do you think you are going?" his mother inquired scornfully.

"Wherever I choose," he supplied. "Have the meeting without me."

"He just needs some sleep," Sheng supplied before Sesshomaru turned and walked off. He eventually resigned himself to his room once more, and lay in bed in the completely wrong direction to try and get comfortable. He needed to sleep. He needed to be embraced by a miko and be told that everything was alright and that he hadn't done too much damage to someone who only acted as emotionally stable as himself. He needed it, but he knew that ample effort would need to be made in order to receive it.

The next three nights proved to be devoid of rest as well, and by that time Sheng was actually taking Sesshomaru from the o-shiro to lounge in nature. His excuse was that Sesshomaru was beginning to scare the servants.

"I need to see her," Sesshomaru finally admitted, digging another rock from under the snow and skipping it across the unfrozen river. It skipped three times, then shot into a tree trunk.

"Patience is a virtue," Sheng quoted from somewhere, skipping stones with Sesshomaru. "Let her think and heal. You should be reassured by her saying you could visit her in two weeks rather than in a month."

Sesshomaru threw the next stone hard enough for it to skip once, then just disappear. "That is not enough."

Sheng sighed. "You have to learn otherwise, no matter how hard it is."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes up to the sky, giving a weary and drawn out hum. "Is this normal?"

"Your relationship?" Sheng asked, lighthearted. "Not in the least. This circumstance can almost be called expectable though."

"Really?" Sesshomaru inquired, throwing another rock. This one didn't even touch the water, it just hit the upper part of a mostly severed tree and made it fall with a loud and crackling crash.

"Truly," Sheng informed. "Now accept it for fact before you begin a deforestation act."

Sesshomaru stopped, but he continued thinking. He was exhausted, and his mind was on thought loop. She wouldn't leave his head, whether he was awake or taking a brief nap. It was just like before, except now there was the very real possibility that he had messed up.

"If anything," Sheng began, acting like the father figure in Sesshomaru's recently messed up life, "she will appreciate the fact that you are willing to wait for her."

... That actually made this circumstance sound like a _good_ thing. And it wasn't good at all, it was horrible. Wretched, deprived, and completely devoid of necessity in his life.

Sesshomaru returned to the o-shiro, keeping the thought of her being appreciative and even happy in his head, and life began to get a little better.

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She missed him... She missed his presence, his sense of humor, his touch, everything. And yet thinking of him still hurt when day faded to night. Kagome had spoken with no one about what had happened at the o-shiro, but became an active member of everyone's lives. She trained with her friends, enjoyed having them with her, and sought ways to help in the village. She had a job there, and thusly got paid as well, though there was nothing she wished to buy. She lived there, despite her scars, and her friends supported her even without knowing the facts. That's what made them such good friends...

Kagome, for the forth morning an a row, woke up with blurry vision. She had too much sleep in her eyes after sleeping, and she knew that it was because she had been shedding tears. Since leaving the o-shiro, she had lost the ability to remember her dreams upon waking, and sometimes brief flashes would come back to her during the day, if she was bored enough to think about such a thing.

"Aren't you awake yet?" Inuyasha asked, sounding irritated as he nudged her back with his foot again.

"I will be in a few hours," she groaned at him. It was probably around four in the morning, by the way she felt. Lifting her arm revealed daylight though, and she let the limb drop over her temple once more. "Now, walk five feet away so I can S-I-T you."

She wouldn't be surprised if that was the one word he ever learned how to spell, thanks to her spelling it for him in a threatening manner... He was waking her up because everyone needed an early start to get to a village in need by noon. Kagome had been automatically accepted into the slayer squad, and she was excited to go because only her, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara would be doing the mission. Just like old times. She had asked Sango what the sudden exception was to allow her to go with them, and she explained in front of everyone that Hiroko, despite how young he was, was beginning to reject nursing, and had been gumming dried meat strips and rice for a whole week now and was perfectly healthy and happy about it. Kagome had seen as much over the last few days, with the mess the boy made especially, but she didn't know he had fully been weened. It still seemed so early... Drinking water was a bit of a problem for him, since he couldn't hold a bowl, but other than that everything was fine for Sango and her family. Miroku seemed quite happy to share a seat on Kirara with his wife again, and by his actions he didn't mind the idea of expanding their family anytime soon. Kagome was quite amused to see him get slapped.

The only difference she noticed as they continued on their way was Shippo, who was now able to provide himself with transportation rather than rely on everyone. Kagome was impressed that his transformations had dramatically changed from big, sloppy animals which looked to come from a toddler's art class, to things which were actually recognizable. Such as a hawk, which InuYasha hated. Birds had a tendency to relieve themselves every ten minutes, and to compliment the fact, they also had very precise aim. Inuyasha was lucky that he had a passenger...

Riding on his back was no longer awkward, even as Kagome rested her chin on his shoulder and her head against his. It was odd to not feel drawn to him as a crush, or even an ex-crush. He was just Inuyasha, her friend, and he seemed to be quite fine with that.

"Still tired?" he asked.

"A little," she admitted. Still, she wondered how her interactions with his brother would smooth out... She was pretty sure he would have picked up on the man's scent coming off her clothes.

"If you can fall asleep, then go ahead," he invited. "We'll be moving for a few more hours, with Kirara resting so much."

Kirara growled halfheartedly at Inuyasha, and he happily growled back, making the cat's ears twitch at him. Kagome giggled, thinking of all the sits and how Inuyasha would chase a stick if she threw it and over how much he enjoyed having his ears rubbed. He was such a dog, no matter how much he'd deny it.

She managed to get some sleep in, which she should have won a gold medal for. His jostling usually woke her up, so she would say that, at most, she got forty minutes down for the whole trip. The final time she woke up though was from him telling her to.

"Are we here?" she asked, yawning until her jaw shifted with a small crack. That felt good...

"Almost," he replied. "I figured you'd like to be a tad more presentable."

"Well, well, well. Look who learned to speak..." she teased him. Another dog trick?

"Hey!" he barked at her. "You may be a girl, but-"

Before he could finish threatening her she tweaked one of his ears and he practically landed on his face rather than on his feet.

"Will you quit doing that when I'm carrying you?!" he demanded, straightening and letting her down.

"I'll consider it," was her reply. After two months, in total, of dealing with her friend's stoic older brother, Inuyasha's temper tantrums were nothing she couldn't handle. She could actually brush him yelling at her completely off. It made her wonder what her pubescent mind was thinking to ever have a crush on her short-fused friend. "So, where are we?"

"About three hundred paces from the village," Inuyasha stated, their friends landing and dismounting.

Paces? Kagome turned to face the village and listened, wondering vaguely if she could sharpen her hearing if she channeled some energy through her. She tried, but it didn't work. There _was _a clink in the distance though. And another. It was a very unfamiliar noise, yet she had a good idea of what it was from.

"A blacksmith?" she asked, still pondering over it.

"Yep!" Shippo affirmed, landing on her back and making her step forward from the sudden weight.

"Shippo, you know you're not a little kid anymore," Kagome scolded him halfheartedly. "Here, get up and sit with your legs over my shoulders. It's easier that way."

Shippo paused for a second, clinging to the fabric on her back, then did just as she said and hunched unstably over her head. "Yeah, I know I'm not a kid. I'm going to swipe myself a blade while I'm here."

Kagome felt her eyes widen considerably and she looked up at the never-truly-innocent Shippo. "Really? What for?"

He puffed his chest proudly.

"He wants a dagger," Sango explained, finished with checking Kirara's joints. Kirara transformed to her kitten self and Sango picked her up, petting her big eared head. She didn't look it, but Kirara was quite old for a minor demoness. Kagome hoped that her legs weren't hurting her. "He told his family that he wasn't coming back to them unless he had one."

Kagome blinked, then looked to Shippo again, who was a bit more confident in his stability on her shoulders. "Why did you go and do that?"

The boy had a really toothy grin. "Simple. I want Miroku and you to bless the metal, and then I'm going to Tōtōsai to have it enhanced with _this_!"

Inuyasha's ears quirked when Shippo pulled out a baby tooth, which he was losing of late. The little fox glared at the inu before words could be exchanged. "And yes, I _know_ it's not very powerful and a baby tooth! I'll just get it reforged later."

Kagome was impressed that Inuyasha merely nodded before turning to walk for the village, which was actually quite well off.

Sango went into their patron's very expensive house with Miroku to discuss matters, some servants greeting them and walking away.

She could almost see the servants, wearing white, some of them with ears atop their heads...

"Kagome, they'll feel weird if you keep staring at them."

She blinked, and glanced up at Shippo. She wasn't up there anymore. She was here, and they were free to roam around the city now.

Kagome must have been quite the sight, being dressed as a miko with a yōkai fox riding her shoulders and a yōkai twin tailed cat on her head in the fox's arms. She waved merrily at anyone who wished to stare. It was a big village and very well off. Actually, with cobbled main streets lined with little shops, she had the impression that this was an actual town. It was weird to have to distinguish between village, town, and city. In her time, everywhere she went was a city...

"Hey, Kagome?" Shippo began eagerly, hunkering down closer to her ear. "You think we could visit the blacksmith?"

"You know stealing's bad, Shippo," she commented.

He shifted. "I know. But I don't have any money humans would accept, and I can't get a job because of what I am. Besides, I'm a fox, we do this sort of thing."

She giggled. "Alright, klepto-kun. Inuyasha! We're going to see what weapons the blacksmith has crafted!"

"Kay!" was his reply. He was watching from under a colorful hanging awning as something was done, and by the smell Kagome was pretty sure it was ramen being cooked. She wondered if the man in the shop knew that Inuyasha was a hanyō. The ears were a dead giveaway, but Inuyasha asking Sango for some money could most likely be explained by this desire for food. Hm... Humans may fear hanyō, but she supposed that a paying customer was a paying customer.

Kagome grinned and began walking once more. "Shippo, we can look now, but please keep all the options in mind and take what you want after the demon is slain. I don't want the blacksmith looking all over for us and complaining to Sango's patron before we can collect for our work."

Shippo sighed, a puff of frost gracing the air, the blacksmith clinking beginning anew. "Alright..."

"Promise?" she asked happily, ice crackling underfoot in the cracks of the cobblestones.

"Yeah," he replied, putting an elbow on her head to rest his face in his hand. "Darn..."

She was humored, and then pulled the solid wood doors aside to reveal the dim interior of the place. She closed it quickly to keep the heat of the store in, and then felt free to walk around. There was a variety of glimmering blades mounted on the walls, decent duplicates kept in iron-rimmed barrels for swords and in wooden boxes for smaller weapons.

Shippo pointed at what daggers he liked, and she'd lift their container up and rummage. Of course, the best was on display, and she was pretty sure that something wouldn't be on that wall by nightfall. Upon handling the fifth blade the clinking stopped, and when she held up the sixth she heard a door open.

"A woman?" came a voice made rough from heat and labor. Kagome turned to regard the man who came into the shop from another glowing room, a double thick leather apron draped over his front. He was pulling his gloves off to tuck them in the cord which held the apron tight against his front.

"A miko," she supplied, noting how permanently burnt his face was and where tiny scars from flying molten metal remained. These people needed to invent masks... "I am searching for a dagger that can live up to a life of hard and constant use, and I do not care how 'pretty' it is."

The middle aged man looked humored. "That is good, because my blades are crafted for combat, not house work. Anything pretty here will be from sheen alone."

She nodded, and moved to another wall. Shippo had a slight grip on her ears, and had asked her to turn right by tugging her right lobe slightly.

More daggers...

"What style are you interested in?"

She was silent. Style? Um...

"Shippo, you know the finer points," she began. "Would you speak with him while I browse? You know how I never buy anything if I can't look." She felt like a bitch for saying that, but it opened the conversation to maker and taker. She was just there for parental control, in a manner of speaking.

"Well then," the man began, having listened to thirty seconds of ideals. "I have a variety of daggers which fulfill your needs in one way or another-"

"All of them," Kagome told him, meeting his gaze. "I have traveled long and far, and going to the next village is nothing for me. I need all of those requirements fulfilled, or I am leaving."

The man, now having his arms crossed, pursed his lips in amused thought. Really, he was dealing with a young woman bearing a fox on her head, she probably wasn't one to be taken too seriously on appearances alone. "Well, I have something, but I doubt that you have the coin for it."

"Coin is easy to come by for someone who works in a rare field," she challenged him in turn. "Show it to me, and I will consider whether or not it is worth the effort."

The man fixed his stare on her, and after a few seconds he nodded and walked back and through the door to the glowing room.

"Shippo, if you like what he brings out, go outside with Kirara and find a way into that room," Kagome told him, having a good feeling about this. "That way, when he goes to put it back, you can see where it is."

The fox grinned widely at her, hugging her head.

The man returned after a minute, bearing a box. He removed a huge array of keys from his waist and deftly selected one to undo the lock on the front of the wooden container. Apparently, this blade was very important to him. The lid lifted and the box was turned towards them.

Kagome was positively stunned. There wasn't one, but two daggers, and they glistened from being polished and well protected.

"First set I have ever made," the blacksmith began, taking one of the blades out and offering her the hilt. "Perfect balance, lightweight, and easy to throw. I have yet to match their perfection in anything else."

She accepted the straight dagger, and was really quite impressed. The hilt was bound in braided, sturdy leather, which crest over itself for good grip yet was polished for a smooth throwing release. There was a hole in the center right above the hilt, tear shaped as both sides dipped in the middle in the form of a blood let towards the gap, making it aerodynamic in her opinion. It was sharpened on both ends, and was a total length of two and a half hands with the hilt included.

The man let her look the blades over, watching as she tested both of them and felt them out. She handed one to Shippo for 'demon testing' as she called it, and astonishingly enough the blacksmith accepted it. Hah! Idiot...

"These are nice," she told him. "What metal did you use?"

"Folded Damascus steel, traded from China and very rare in these parts," he informed. "It is an impressively durable blend of iron and carbon and will not be quick to lose its edge."

She was nodding, letting herself be lost in thought, and the complimentary blade was handed down to her. When she had it, Shippo clambered off, Kirara following, and he walked outside. The blacksmith watched.

"Where did your friends go?" he asked.

"The cat was making her nigh-silent mewls, so Shippo took her outside to relieve herself. I presume that you can live without urine spots on your floor."

She handled the blades for a few more minutes, giving Shippo time, then commented that they should have returned by then and needed to leave, but that she would keep the weapons in mind.

The blacksmith nodded and she left. She saw no little footprints around the building, and she wasn't going to make any suspicious ones by looking around for Shippo.

"So it _was_ ramen," Kagome stated, having a seat by Inuyasha as he brought the bowl from his mouth. He had been taking a drink of the meat broth, and was now back to the diminished amount of noodles and vegetables. Meat from livestock and farms was rare, as far as she recalled from her history courses, and wouldn't really become popular for a few more hundred years until the population rose. "What meat did you get?"

"Deer," Inuyasha replied, moving through the noodles and finding a piece. "Want some?"

Yum... Venison... "Um..."

"Come on, I'm not holding it out for ever, it'll get cold," he stated.

She leaned forward and opened her mouth to accept the bite. Well, at least it was cooked all the way through, not that raw meat wasn't a delicacy in Japan. There were sanitation protocols she required when it came to 'fine cuisine' though. It was tender, and _really_ good in the soy sauce mixed broth. She was quite surprised.

"Well, this was unexpected..."

Kagome lifted her face from her own bowl of ramen and looked back to see Sango. Her mouth was full, so she offered the food with one hand, the chopsticks with her other, and nodded encouragingly that her friend try that ramen. She accepted, tried it, and passed it on to Miroku.

"Yeah, but I didn't eat," Kagome commented after swallowing.

"Where are Kirara and Shippo?" Sango asked, wiping her mouth as Miroku slurped some noodles.

"Shippo is browsing..." Kagome stated. "And Kirara's with him. They've only been gone for about seven minutes."

It had taken the whole summer to get her friends to understand the meanings of minutes and hours, and seven minutes to them was identified as the general time between five minutes and ten minutes...

"Well, we got everything worked out with the lord of this town. Looks like the demons are attacking at night and focusing on the farm not far from here," Sango explained, taking the bowl back from Miroku and consuming a few more bites before taking a drink and handing it back to Kagome. "The lord needs that meat, since it's a valuable trade item for this village."

That was probably one of the reasons why that place was so prosperous... "That's good. Do we wait for nightfall then?"

That was a 'no'. They corralled their tiny companions, who were busy 'scrounging up' their own food, and took to the air to hunt the demons down via their tracks, and while they were airborne and bored Kagome asked Shippo about his new family.

"They're alright," he supplied, in the form of a little hawk again to get a great visual of the ground, flying near them. It was odd to see a beak move and words come out... "I'm the second oldest of the kids. The oldest is a girl..."

She couldn't really tell through the plumage, but she thought he was blushing. "Aw... Is she cute?"

"No!" Shippo yelled, practically losing feathers over how flustered he was. "She's mean! And she's got red hair!"

Kagome giggled at him, heart rising as Inuyasha dropped about ten feet for the next treetop. "You're a redhead too, Shippo."

"My hair is BROWN compared to hers!" he yelled. "And she's got freckles and brown eyes! She's ugly!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. Children... "Now, now. Maybe she's just mean because she likes you."

She got stared at.

"That's dumb," Shippo said.

"I can smell them," Inuyasha announced, catching everyone's ears. He was frowning.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked.

"Hm... This is going to be tricky..." he said aloud to himself.

"What kinds of demons are they?" Sango asked.

"Wolves," Inuyasha supplied. "A whole pack of them. They're eating a cow now."

For some wretched reason, Kagome was struck with the thought of a family dinner, clean and mannerly. To walk through the naked trees and see a pool of red that had melted the snow, organs and the slit open series of four stomachs which gave way to the long and bloody trail of intestine... It was a tad unexpected.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she replied as Inuyasha was saying 'alright', before she could gag. She was already dreading the meat she had eaten. "I'll be fine..." Family dinner was now replaced with an inverted cow body in her mind, various limbs everywhere, and imagining a pack of faces digging into it was dreadful.

They located the wolves, and since Sango had requested to be the speaker everyone else stayed back a ways while she and the pack leader discussed matters. The younger man's grave and pale face was bloody, as were his hands and various streaks on his front. Kagome didn't turn away, but she made a note to not look at him. His pack members looked to be in the same condition as him, if not worse. Tight skin, frizzled hair from bad nourishment, sunken eyes, a look of desperation and eternal hunger...

They were starving...

"I don't like this..." Inuyasha began, whispering very low. "Something's wrong."

Miroku's grip on his staff tightened, Shippo shifted, and Inuyasha was already tense. Kagome was beginning to think that this was all very unnecessary, but upon seeing the eyes of those still feasting, looking at all of them, she deemed it good to know exactly where her bow was slung, shifting her shoulders to verify the fact.

She couldn't put her finger on it, but something truly was wrong here. Not the circumstance, or the grounds for their being there. Something was just... Off...

A woman, looking to be either a few months pregnant or ghastly full, stepped away from the disemboweled corpse.

"That's the leader's mate," Inuyasha commented. "Miroku, get up there."

"Inuyasha, isn't all of this more serious than need be?" Kagome asked as the father of three stepped forward. "What's going on, anyway?"

"It's a dog thing," Inuyasha commented. "When it comes to my species, there's two leaders, the alphas. It's a bad thing to get both alphas against one human female. Having Miroku there sends a message..."

... Alright... She supposed that had great potential to make some sense...

"So, what feel off here?" she tried again.

"These yōkai are close to the brink," Inuyasha supplied. "We didn't tell you this last time, but thanks to the general lack of food and the absurd flow of wolves from the north, many yōkai are beginning to lose their sanity."

Kagome swallowed hard. She had seen crazy people in movies and read about them in books, but to have obscenely strong packs of them together and starving... "Are they just running out of food?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha stated, not taking his eyes off of what was happening ahead. "When you can't even eat, it's hard to think about being sane. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if this pack reverted into true wolves within the year."

Kagome was absolutely shocked. "That can happen??"

"It happens all the time," Inuyasha replied. "Why else do you think Ginta and Hakaku stayed with the wolves when Koga would run ahead? Those were their family members. ... It can happen from taking too many injuries and getting a permanent defect that weakens them, or just from age even. Yōkai aren't demons, they're spiritual manifestations of nature. With time or too much weakness, they go back to the basics. It's a survival tactic, and it uses less energy."

She had never known that... "Can they... Can they ever change back?"

Inuyasha shook his head, and she was surprised by a low growl reverberating from him and looked forward. No one was eating anymore. All of them were standing, and staring.

Kagome didn't know why, but her energy flared wildly at them, and their eyes, even the alpha's, went to her.

Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga, putting an arm out in front of her like he was used to. She pushed it down though and stepped forward.

"Who are you?" the alpha male demanded.

"A friend," she informed. "Of Koga's, at least."

"You know Koga?" the alpha female asked. She didn't sound as insane as she looked.

Kagome offered a warm smile. "Yes, I do. His pack is now quite large, but I'm sure you can go there and find refuge and food under him until the spring."

The leader scoffed. "We have asked already, and he said it was unfathomable."

Kagome giggled, which set off the mood there. "Well, things become more considerable when you tell him that a certain miko named Kagome will kick his ass if he refuses to let you in."

"We cannot travel that distance," the female stated.

Kagome surveyed them. "I don't see why not. Your energies are high, your health hasn't deteriorated dramatically..."

"You are telling us to leave?" one of the beta males demanded.

"No," she replied. "I am merely encouraging it. All there is for you here is hunters, slayers, and isolation from everyone but yourselves."

"We can handle that!" the beta yelled.

"Silent!" the alpha barked, making the younger man quell. Kagome knew that these people must hate the idea of being relocated, by a miko no less, but she knew that the leader had a mate and an upcoming child to think of. He returned his weary gaze to Kagome. "How can you expect me to make a decision like that because _you_ say everything will be fine? After traveling that far, we will be famished, and in the territory of a pack so large that it will consume any food we can track."

Kagome thought for a second. "I completely understand that," she told them, "but if we let you be, another group of slayers will not be so lenient. Do you smell a lie on me?"

All of their eyes narrowed. She knew they didn't.

There was a shift, a flash of metal, and Kagome acted out of instinct. Her energy reached out and ensnared the wrist which was aiming a blade for her, and her touch burnt the displeased beta man who didn't agree with her.

That started it. Her action was seen as an attack, the wolves became vicious, and everyone began fighting. It was short, and bloody, and thanks to their immense amount of experience they were left standing without a scratch. The wolves were as well off as the cow though...

Kagome blinked when Sango's hand settled on her shoulder. "It happens."

"Does it?" she asked. This was such a horrible sight...

"Sadly, yes. It does," Sango repeated. "Inuyasha, why don't you head on home with her? We'll finish with things here."

Kagome had tried to protest that she didn't have to go, but when she was on Inuyasha's back and returning for the village he explained to her that Sango didn't want Kagome to see the decapitations. It was sickening to consider, but Sango was payed for each head she brought back as proof of the 'demons' having been slain. There had been seven... That meant a lot of money, food, and items for 'slaying the beasts of the forests'.

It was deranged, and depressing to think about, but it was a way of making a living... It was like slaughtering the servants of the o-shiro for stealing rice... And she still didn't know if that one woman had been pregnant. Inuyasha said she wasn't, but Kagome had a feeling that he was covering up to make her feel better.

Shippo came home with the blacksmith's prized daggers, box and all, and showed Kagome that there had been sheaths hidden in another layer of the box. She said she was happy for him, and tried to be, but if she wasn't depressed over one thing, it was another.

Miroku showed her how to bless metal, which wasn't hard since it was just channeling some energy into the blade, and that night Shippo yanked out another canine tooth for Tōtōsai to use.

"We got another request to be somewhere within two days," Sango commented later that night in the hot spring. "Want to come?"

Kagome offered her friend a smile. "Thanks, but no. I think I'll take Ah-Un and Shippo and go see Tōtōsai instead."

Kirara took them back to the village, and Kagome was left to toss and turn on her futon worthy mat, troubled. She wasn't thinking about the wolves though. She was thinking about what she and Sesshomaru were going to do when they saw one another again in a week and a few days. A part of her was desperate to see him again, and another part wanted to shelter itself from him. She couldn't live with that second opinion in her though. She'd be nervous upon seeing him, but she'd be strong, and she was going to find out how it was to be courted by someone she already loved.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, the third and final part of this series... I'm still trying to get used to the idea of that... Sorry the comments and author note in the beginning were so long, I was talkative. :P

So, yes! An insight into Sesshomaru's thoughts (finally!) and how Kagome's handling what happened. I tried several ways of her meeting Chiro in that light, but none of them seemed appropriate. Besides, I think it's a tad necessary that Sesshomaru handle it himself. -shrugs-

Anyway, I still love reviews! XD Thanks for sticking with me through so much reading, and I'm glad I can keep everyone entertained. Thanks for reading, and I'll update the second chapter of the final story ASAP!


	2. Preoccupations

**A/N:** Yep. It's been a while. Time flies. I have quite a few excellent and (surprisingly) honest reasons for the delay, but I'm too lazy to indulge you with the list. :P I will say this though, moving twice in one month, having no Internet in either of the places, starting college a week and a half late and getting catch-up work, and having a foreign exchange student randomly dumped into my hands for a few weeks really is a pain. The worse part is I wish I was lying... Life would be a lot more cheery if I were. But that's alright, because things are almost fully sorted out, and I hope to be doing weekly updates again. Soon.

To settle any possible concerns, I'm **not** losing interest in the story. I just don't have as much time to devote to it now, that's all. And getting around any free Internet is also an inconvenience, but I've already covered that base...

In case anyone's interested in a quirk of my personal life (if not, feel more than free to skip ahead to the chapter. :D), I've come up with two more story ideas while moving boxes. Hopefully way, way shorter stories than this monstrosity, but they're kinda bitter-sweet movie-like concepts. I'll probably hold off on posting them until this story is complete. :D

Lastly, I'm sorry for all the late review and PM replies! It's funny, when I have the Internet, I have no time for e-mails, and when I have time, there's no Internet. The funny part about that though is how very not-humorous it is.

... Damn, I can talk... Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and maybe the exaggerated A/N at the end, and as always, I'll have the next chapter out as soon as personally possible. Thanks for your patience!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Preoccupations**

The night which followed the wolf pack slaughter was especially cold, despite the thick cloud cover. White snow had been wafting from the darkened heavens, slowly adding itself to the blanket of the shadowed land. A soft howl of lifeless wind made Sango shiver as she lay in her husband's arms.

"Are you alright?"

"Mm," she answered him softly. "I was just thinking."

Both of them were whispering, their voices occupying only the space around their heads so as to not disturb the children. Kagome, when she first came back to see them a little over a month ago, had commented on how odd it was that Sango should keep to tradition and sleep with her children as well as her husband. It was quite the expected thing, really, since every family in the village did the same. They were not the wealthiest of people alive, after all.

"About?" Miroku prompted, his arms flexing around her middle as he shifted, pressing his chest to her back more securely. They were both on their left sides, as per usual.

Sango felt a small and warm smile appear on her face. She loved it when he held her close like that. It made her feel like the woman that being a slayer never permitted her to be. She relaxed in his grip, safe and at ease. "Just about Kagome. I'm not entirely sure, but-" Hm, how to say this to a monk... Probably not with full detail. It was not her story to tell, anyway. "-I think she's in love with someone."

Miroku sighed.

"Not with Inuyasha," Sango clarified.

He rubbed her forearm absentmindedly, pondering. He was making his thinking hums, his eyes most likely closed and face relaxed, and those low rumbles gave Sango good goose bumps. "Well, if it's been established that he is no longer her target of interest, then I see no problem with her pursuit of men..."

Sango rolled her eyes, but smiled. Miroku... She married him for his overall commitment, loved him for being himself, and got headaches over the perks. It was worth it though. "I know. She's definitely old enough by now. The problem is that I believe the someone in question hurt her, and that she's keeping it all bottled inside."

"Hm," Miroku forced. Sango couldn't tell if it was a hum or a brief chuckle. Probably both. "She can keep it to herself. It's normal."

"Not for women," Sango stated. "If something's bothering her, she should be able to come out and say it. Even if it's not about men and it's about the slaying. Whatever it is, she should be open about it. Right?"

Kagome had been disturbed when Sango returned with both their payments and a spot-bloody blanket, folded to be a sack. Hiraikotsu, Sango's weapon of choice, had spoken to her before. Long, long ago. She remembered it, and since the first mission of the revived and improved slayer village there was a new tradition. Every fatality on the side of the demons was honored. The other slayers frowned upon it, but Sango, being the village leader, insisted that there would always be a part of the slaughtered 'demon' brought back for a proper death ceremony. Burning pyres.

"I don't know," was his eventual reply. "_Should_ she?"

Sango was quiet for a second, thoughts cycling with facts and questions. Pieces clicked more securely. "Good answer."

"... I just repeated the question," he stated bluntly.

"Hence its brilliance," Sango supplied, clamping his arms around her waist with her own as she shifted. His mirth vibrated against her back.

"Whatever you say, love," he laughed minutely. He kissed her cheek and settled his face against her ear for the night. It was his favorite sleeping position.

Sango sighed with him, a final deep breath before the darkness was allowed to swallow them. The night proved to be restless though, and she couldn't sleep. No matter how long she lay there, watching the light of the moon slowly creep across the floor. She was thinking too much. What had happened over the past month? Was Kagome in pain? Was there anything Sango could do to help? Why was she keeping it all inside and not talking about it? And why had Sango been asking these same questions for the last few days and yet still not have answers to any of them? ... Well, she probably had to ask the person who had the answers in the first place, but it wasn't her place to ask...

Sango closed her eyes and listened to Miroku breathe. She knew that Kagome would open up when the time was good for her. Sango had the right to wonder when that would happen though, as 'too late' isn't a good time for anything. She didn't expect to be emotionally needed at all, but she wanted to know if Kagome would _like_ condolence. Sango wanted, and even expected, Kagome to be fine and to stand for herself. ... Hmm... Then again, a woman's heart could be weak at the worse of times, and when it's damaged, other things begin to wear thin, such as relationships. Sango didn't like to watch from the sidelines as Kagome walked that line alone. She at least wanted to know if she could help, or listen, or be an emotional outlet, or beat a certain yōkai into reconciliation...

"Everything is fine," Miroku whispered, sounding very tired as his calloused fingers worked gently to unclench Sango's. As well he should be exhausted, it was so late that it was early, and they weren't the youngest people alive anymore. She wondered for a second why he had stirred from his slumber, then noticed that her grip was being loosened from around his other hand. Yeah, that one might have hurt. His high pain tolerance was another point towards marrying him. "Go to sleep, Sango. Least Hiroko steal more of the night than necessary."

That boy of theirs was like a rooster... ... Worse, actually. A rooster had the decency to wait for dawn...

"Alright," she breathed. She'd drop the matter, again. Tomorrow was a new day, and Sango had too much on her list to add Kagome to it. She'd do the hardest thing, which was to ignore the possible problem and wait to see if it even existed, which it probably didn't, despite the fact that Kagome returned alone and weary and sad and...

Alright, _now_ she was dropping it...

...

* * *

Inuyasha was pretty sure that something was up, and he didn't need his nose to figure that one out. Not entirely, that is. Kagome, returning in her condition after so long and bearing the scent of his wretched half brother, was still sad, and all of that added together wasn't too promising, 

either. What made it worse was that the woman was silent as a grave marker on the issues in life. Inuyasha knew that, whatever they happened to be, the problem still existed and persisted, no matter how many feet down she tried to bury it. Kagome acted happy and normal, but she was a horrible liar, and that was one of the good things about her.

"Spill it," he pressed for, quite possibly, the hundredth time. That was a lot of questioning for four days, even he had to admit that. He had been sitting for the last butt-numbing twenty minutes on the floor to watch her, and now stood nearby in the room she occupied yet didn't use. It was a guest bedroom. Sleep was to be had here. Not... _this_... Oye, _females_... Seriously, Inuyasha was still wondering how she survived any sort of encounter with Sesshomaru.

"You know I won't," Kagome replied a tad sharply, on her knees and packing her grotesquely huge bag at that ungodly hour of the morning. This woman slept less of late, especially if there was work to be done. Her stress level was fluxing up and down and doing laps around her head, and slowly accumulating speed with every hour. Inuyasha didn't like that, and what's worse was he knew that Sesshomaru had set some sort of fire at the feet of her reality. A frantically dancing Kagome resulted in a frequently sat hanyō... There, that was the extent to which Inuyasha's 'mathematical comprehension' extended, whatever that was. Kagome had attempted -and failed miserably- to explain 'math' to him. Come on, she was telling him that there were sticks named One, Two, and Three, and when she took Two away she asked how many remained. How could the answer 'One and Three' ever be wrong?

Great, now his head hurt. Time to change the topic.

"Here, let me help," Inuyasha stated, bumping her shoulder with his so he could get her out of the way, allowing him to lean over the bag in her stead.

"I _got_ it, thanks," Kagome replied, emphasizing her words with the mimic of his gesture.

"_You_ go to _sleep_," he ordered, doing it twice this time. "You're exhausted, you idiot. You can't wear yourself out until you're useless, you know." There was an unexpected noise, and Inuyasha blinked and twitched his ears to catch the sound better. It was the same no matter the angle of his hearing. "... You're laughing?"

"Yes," Kagome replied simply with a straight face, now just shoving him and relocating her backpack for further stuffing, away some distance. "Because you're an idiot, not me. I'm almost done, this is better than laying around and doing nothing."

"That would be the point of going to sleep," Inuyasha scoffed. She was difficult. How could Sesshomaru's scent even rub off onto her without her presence granting a death sentence? "Fine. Whatever. You've changed in every other way, why not night time stamina, too?"

Kagome sighed, a long and overused sound, jamming a piece of clothing into the bag with too much nonchalant effort. "I'm sorry."

That was it. Inuyasha's arms flung up into the air on their own, and his feet decided to begin 

making some big circles over the floor.

"What?" she demanded.

"You!" he yelled, pacing and crossing his arms to keep from waving them with emphasis over nothing. There really was no other way to phrase it, and he gave up on resistance and pointed his finger at her for emphasis. "You, _you_, **you**!"

She quirked her eyebrow at him. "This really doesn't help your level of idiocy..."

"Keh!" he scoffed again, crossing his arms tight enough to make the sleeves bunch closer to his elbows. They weren't getting away again.

Glancing over, he saw that Kagome had gotten an almost evil little smile on her face. He hated when that vindictive smirk appeared, it was simply horrible, and sometimes horrifying. "Aw, wittle Inu-washa is worried fo' wittle ol' me?"

"..." He studied her, but no fluffy fox tail ever appeared. This was the actual Kagome, talking in a tongue no ears should ever have to suffer. "And you call _me_ the idiot?"

She laughed it off. "Is something on your mind?"

"Of course," he informed her. "It's on everyone's minds."

"Really?" Kagome asked. "And that would be?"

Inuyasha contemplated the ceiling while scratching his head. It was a good thinking/'why-me-kami-why position. "You _know_ what it is. Everyone wants to know what's on _your_ mind."

He watched as Kagome's face fell into its familiar sag.

"And don't you dare say it's none of my business, or that nothing's wrong. ... Or that you'll sit me!" he barked at her. "It's about time you let us know whether or not we should know! At _least_!"

She frowned at the nearby wall, and then decided to turn the annoyed and confounded expression onto him. "Then 'no', you shouldn't know."

He blinked. "That's not what I meant!"

"**What**?The only answer you'll accept is me wanting everyone to know something?!" she demanded loudly.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and continued before she _did_ sit him. "Why did you smell like Sesshomaru when you came back?? That's all I care about, so spill it!"

...

... _That_ was a reaction for the books... Inuyasha had never before seen her go from blushing to embarrassed to angry and then him from vertical to horizontal so quickly. He was still left to think about her expressions as he learned first hand what the flavor of the floor was, not that he didn't bitch about it, of course. Being sat felt like having the icy hand of dread knot into your haori and yank down while the thirteen ton boulder of unrighteous punishment dropped. And she still wondered why he yelped some undignified noise every time she sat him... HE should give HER a collar for a day...

"I'm almost done, then I'm going to bed!" Kagome yelled, angry for no reason at all. "I'll see you in a week, Inuyasha! **Good** **night**!"

"I'm not-"

"**SIT** BOY!!"

... Fine... He'd _let_ her finish packing, step over his reduced form, and go to bed. Yes, he'd let her do that, and then later -way later- he'd ask her that question again before she left. He wanted answers, after all.

* * *

Shippo was very, extremely, undeniably, gloriously, delightedly, fan-freakin'-tastic. And let's not forget, ecstatic. There was one tiny flaw in his good morning, and that was Kagome's inability to wake up when he wanted her to.

"KAgOmE!" he yelled, marching up and down the unused edges of her blanket, still getting used to the feeling of the daggers on his hips. He had ample growing to do. They jostled, the leather sheathes tapping dully at the blade tips against one another through his tail, and it was annoying. They were also huge compared to him. "WAKE! UP! NOW! PLEASE!"

"MmMMmnnnnnn..." came a growl from under the blankets, a black hairball turning ninety degrees under the blanket as she rolled from her back to her side.

His reply to that was jumping around, then nudging her hip with his foot. "Come on, wake up!" She shifted, and he smiled. "Up up UP!"

There were lazy and nigh incoherent noises, and they meant 'what time is it'.

"It's midday already!" he lied. He was a fox, he was permitted a lie or several...

Kagome shot out of bed so quickly that he was surprised he was left standing. Shippo stared at her as she sat there, blankets bunched in her lap as she stared with wonder at the dark room.

"... You look horrible," he admitted. And she did. She wasn't a morning person... And she 

needed her hair brush like a fish needed water. What the hell did she do? Invite a pine tree over for some intimacy? Maybe this was a side effect of hers to troubled sleep, or an emotion fried brain?

He was given quite the glare then, the expression only more deadly for its grayed outlines. "Leave before I beat you like the naughty brat you are..."

He grinned. Kagome was nice, but didn't act like it in the morning. Even to him. "Aw, you don't mean that."

In a blink there was a sudden sensation of flying, and Shippo stared at nothing with wonder when he fell from midair, landed on his rump, and had the door closed behind him... Did he do that? Why was he outside the room? And why did the scruff of his neck tingle?

"What was that!" he yelled through the door.

"GO to SLEEP!" was his response.

He scratched at the wood with his little nails, which stayed in one place and wouldn't open for some odd reason. He also felt spiritual energy nearby. "Not until you tell me what it was!"

Continuing at that pace, Shippo had Kagome up and out of bed by dawn, and he was very proud of himself for that.

"You're awake?"

"No, I'm asleep," Kagome answered Sango sarcastically, sitting on her knees at the table and flopping her upper body over it. Shippo became alarmed that his work would be ruined, and he walked over to shake her shoulders should the need arise. He got growled at.

"Kagome, why don't you go back to bed?" Sango asked. Shippo waved his hands at the woman. What was she THINKING?? He and Kagome needed to leave _now_ if they had any desire to get to Tōtōsai's by midday! Women! ACK!

"**Good _i_****dea**," Kagome replied. "Just tie Shippo to a rock some few miles away from here, and I'll get right to it..."

"I can scream," Shippo supplied.

"I got duct tape," Kagome stated.

"You lie, I can smell it."

"I can improvise..."

... Alright, she wasn't lying on that account... "Come on, Kagome! Let's grab that dragon and 

go! Rin will be up soon anyway, and then we'll _never_ get out of here!"

Sango giggled, which sounded a little strained with how Hiroko's bindings dug into her chest. That pudgy, sticky toddler was now asleep and drooling all over Sango, slung safely against her back with a looped and tied sash. Shippo found the kid to be very annoying, more so than the twins, and those girls could be **mean**. Speaking of, they'd be awake soon, too.

...

"Oh, it's FREEZING!!" Kagome cried when they went outside. Yes, Shippo was quite the _persuasive_ one when it came to being threatened with pudgy-fingered torture.

"Is it?" Shippo asked, the winter wind tugging at his little hooded cloak. He always was reminded of those hanyō kids from the island of the four gods whenever he wore that cloak his foster mom made for him... He was as tall now as the shortest one there had been. Anyway, he wasn't that cold, though he _did _have his energy coursing through him doubly fast to make up for the weather. Shippo wasn't very strong yet, but he was strong enough to regulate his temperature and sharpen his sense of smell, both at the same time. In a few more years, if he trained a whole lot, he'd be able to mingle his energy safely with his spirit, and that would extend his life like every other powerful yōkai's and allow him to transform into his true great spirit animal self. Maybe after that, he'd learn to manipulate things with his energy -since Kagome of all people apparently could- but being a fox his first priority was life extension. What thief would want to wait and develop everything else if it meant giving up the innocence of youth? Every day could be stretched out into five years, so every day he wasted was a huge sacrifice to his time. Not that he thought about it much, it escaped his mind pretty easily. Shippo was too young to think about being old every day.

"Yes, it is!" Kagome whimpered, her teeth chattering loudly as she doubled over. He didn't know if her new position was to concentrate heat or to balance the backpack while in the tall snow, but either way she looked ridiculous. "Can't you go see Tōtōsai in the summer?"

Shippo was actually scared by such a thought. What was she _thinking_?? "No! I can't go back to my family until I get this done!"

Kagome looked surprised for a moment, then that weird 'I'm a female so I get to make this face' expression popped up. It was a warm smile, but it was too friendly to be good for him.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" she had the audacity to ask.

He felt his face pucker sourly at her sarcasm. "You know what!"

She giggled, then shooed him for Ah-Un in voiced fear of the freshly adorned saddle freezing.

"You know the way?"

"Yes, Inuyasha," Kagome assured him with ample exasperation, which led to a mild argument between them. Shippo was glad that she wasn't emotionally hung up on that dog anymore. If she was going to go for dogs, then she might as well go for the pick of the litter; which, as Shippo noted some time ago, she was. And good for her. Kagome had the looks, personality, intelligence, strength, dignity, honor, presence... Everything, save for some mannerism. Shippo was sure that many yōkai men she met would become another Koga if they had the wits and sense of mind to see a lonely female and not a human. Hell, if Shippo was old enough to think women were pretty rather than annoying, he had to admit he'd probably be interested too. He knew Kagome's bad side though, and it was UGLY. Sesshomaru... Sesshomaru must have been hit pretty hard in the head to ever consider tolerance over termination in regards to Kagome.

The minor verbal quarrel ended with a 'splut' as Inuyasha was smashed by some invisible force into the snow, and Ah-Un had his normal takeoff. They were finally in the air, and it was fun to sit in the gap between the dragon's two necks. Ah-Un didn't mind it either, so long as Shippo kept his heels to himself. It was hard to not swing his feet for entertainment when the only other thing to do was listen to whispered bitching and the chatter of pearly teeth.

"It's colder up here," Kagome commented, not even three minutes off the ground.

"You're a wimp," he scoffed at her playfully.

Scolding, griping, lecturing, and over dramatic mothering ensued. All of it. For the next ten minutes, everything between 'it's bad to steal someone's cherished work' to 'respect your elders, not that I'm that old' was poured over his sensitive hearing. Even Ah-Un didn't enjoy it. Shippo's replies to those two in particular were 'it'll motivate him to do better' and 'yes, you are'.

"You're such a little brat," she snipped a little playfully after he affirmed her age.

"And you whine too much," Shippo commented. The teeth finally stopped their chattering, and so he continued before she could scold him some more. "Sesshomaru's not going to like that if you keep it up..."

Dead silence.

It was glorious.

"I-"

"I can smell it. Don't lie."

Kagome was quiet again. "... I hate yōkai..."

Shippo's face stretched into a wide grin, and he tilt back his head to look at the sky, then further to look at her. "Except for two."

She actually blushed. "You can, really _smell_ that?"

... Yeah, he just said he could... Humans were odd. "U-huh." He looked forward again. The sun was just now cresting over the slope of a mountain like a kid peeking from behind a rock. It reminded Shippo of his new siblings, and how they loved to play 'grab that huge tail'. One guess at the rules of _that_ game...

He heard Kagome give a 'humph'. "I see you've developed your senses since I was last here, since you're using them against me so much."

"Of course," he replied cheekily. "Embarrassing humans is another thing foxes love to do."

He got smacked on top of the head, and even though it really didn't hurt a bit he still threw a big fuss over it. Mostly because she shouldn't be hitting him. He looked up to her after all, and it was still painful to be scolded so harshly by people he respected.

"So," Kagome began after their brief bickering subsided. He swore he had a bump, now that he was rubbing his head to find it. "Does Inuyasha know?"

"Are you kidding?" Shippo asked. "I don't think he even knew that Kikyo was dead all that time... Maybe his mom dropped him on his face as a baby. His sense of smell is horrible..."

Despite the tone of the conversation, Kagome managed a giggle. Good. Shippo didn't like talking about things that made her sad. Kagome was a happy person, and she deserved to be happy, but for some reason she was great at finding something to always be depressed or traumatized about...

"So, why Sesshomaru?" Shippo asked. It had been bugging him all week, it was about time he got some answers. "I mean, sure, he's strong and handsome and has enough status to choke the whole human royalty system of Japan, but come on... He's your total opposite, emotionally, at least. What's the point? Why aren't one of you dead yet?"

...

"Opposites attract," Kagome stated mirthlessly. She sounded like she was quoting something, but what it was Shippo couldn't say.

"What does _that_ mean?"

She sighed. "I'll put you through school in five hundred years, then you can figure it out."

"No, thanks," he replied with a scowl. "I don't want homework. It looks horrible."

She giggled again, and they were quiet for a few minutes. She was thinking. "I really _don't_ know what it is between us... We just don't mind each other. Maybe we're both just insane, I don't know. Or it's a mutual and desperate need for misery, that works too."

He felt his ears actually perk. "Wait, _both_ of you??" She was quiet, so he jerked himself off his rump to kneel staring at her. "BOTH of you??"

She was mortified, and glanced away from him. Shippo swore his heart actually stopped, but apparently his body was delighted by such a thing because he had a huge, open mouthed smile stretched across his face.

"Oh get over it," she mumbled quickly.

"No!" he laughed, sitting on his haunches to keep on staring. This was either THE most funny thing on earth, or a quirky miracle in the flesh. "_BOTH_ of you?!"

She sucked in her lips, and nodded once. Then she glanced at his bewildered and elated expression and slapped both palms over her face for the next few minutes.

"That's so weird!" he yelled, which was the initiation of a very long tangent depicting all the things that this news was. It was odd, strange, foreign, unnatural, bizarre, but for some reason, it was also good, and that was the funny part. "And it doesn't make sense! I mean, you're not emotionally stable at all and Sesshomaru can use his feels as bricks to build something on the foundation of his sturdy self-control!"

Hehe, he felt good now. That was one of his better sentences in life.

"Okay, you can stop now!" she yelled from behind her hands. He was openly laughing, and he still didn't really know what for.

"YOU and SESSHOMARU!!" he cackled, holding his middle. "That's like the sun and moon getting together!"

Kagome finally revealed her face, and it was so very red that it looked like her hands had just been removed from a suction grip. "Shippo, this isn't funny!"

That statement only made it better... His sides were going to rip, and he was going to fall off, and he was going to be laughing so hard on the way down that he would not be able to transform into a sparrow no matter how much his life would depend on it...

"I know, it's weird!" she yelled at him, sounding a tad frantic with the situation now. "But _he_ came on to me! I was the innocent bystander!"

... It was astounding how quickly the mirth vanished. "... What?" What? What? What?? "What?"

She was blushing all over again. "He... ... He wants... ... He wants to be... He wants me to be his m-... m-m-m-... ... ... ..."

"... Mate?" Shippo offered.

She slapped her face into her hands again.

"... Kagome, are you drunk?" She had to be. She wasn't lying, so that meant she had to think that she was telling the truth, but... That simply couldn't be the truth... "Maybe you'd be a part of his harem, but his mate? How did you think that one up?"

"NO I'm not DRUNK you little BRAT!" she yelled at him, completely humiliated. "Oh, kami, he actually said... AAAGH!! He _said_..." She was so red right now, and for some reason, angry. "UGH!! He's a fucking MORON!!"

"... He said that?" Shippo asked, a little surprised. She wasn't lying on that note, either.

"He **should**," she growled with a gurgling tone against the heels of her hands, glaring at sky overhead. "Kami, I don't know how to feel about this! I'm just so... GAAAH!!"

Shippo blinked. He hadn't seen Kagome off the handle like this in a long time. "Um... You're mad?"

"Yes!" she yelled at nothing. She looked ready to cry now. Women were confusing... "He wants me to be his mate, but I can't be without feeling horrible about it! And then there's all _that_ to think about, and... And I really shouldn't be talking about this!!"

Shippo was quiet, but mostly because he was trying to sort out the overload of odorous messages he was receiving. He finally got a few to line up and make sense though. "Was he bad?"

"We didn't get that intimate!" she snapped.

... WAY too much information... She just admitted being intimate with Sesshomaru to some slight degree...

"... No, did he _do_ something bad?"

"Oh..." was her recovery, blinking and becoming more sane. "Yes, Shippo. He was a very bad boy, and Kagome needs to punish him for it."

Shippo grinned. "No sex for him, then?"

It was simply priceless to see Kagome's expression. "... ... Ah-? SHIPPO!!"

He laughed at her, and although she was annoyed for quite a long time her curiosity eventually overruled.

"So..." she began, seeming to look for the right words. "Um. What did you mean by 'his harem'?"

Shippo, currently sitting back against a scaly neck with his arms behind his head and his knees crossed, watched his foot wiggle. "Give me a break, I'm just a kid. You want me to explain adult stuff?"

She blushed. "You already knew the word, and you already know the information, so just relay it before you're left to fly the rest of the way by yourself."

He smirked. Shippo actually liked her better this way. It was far better than being seen for the first time and hearing her say "It's a fox! It talks? ... Cool!". How lame could you _get_? "Yeah. A harem. As in a lot of females gathered for his pleasure alone. I'll have one some day, just you wait and see."

Kagome rolled her eyes at him, but didn't say anything about it. "So... He mates them?"

Shippo frowned. "Of course not. They're just there in case his mate says 'no'."

Kagome looked humored. "Can they have kids?"

"Yep," Shippo replied. "A lot of kids. Too many. They all become servants though."

Now she just looked startled, and now that he thought about it, Sesshomaru and kids didn't really seem to go together.

Shippo perked up. Her scent changed... ...

...

... ... Oh, that's what it meant... "Did you see him with a girl?"

Kagome's sudden bodily jostle was answer enough. "Um. ... Yeah. I did."

And that was the problem. Well, that was easy. "If you were jealous, then you're pathetic."

The miko's anger flared, almost enough to singe his toes.

"He's allowed to have women!" Shippo protested. "It can't be that bad! Did you see him with ten of them or something?"

She blinked. "... No. One."

He stared. "Wow... You're territorial..."

She looked utterly baffled. "W-... What?"

"No, no, that's good," Shippo assured her. "Let him know who's boss of sex, that's the way 

nature works, good job."

She was blushing for the rest of the way to the Yōkai blacksmith's, and it was quite entertaining. She had things to think about though, or at least acted like she did, and Shippo spent the remainder of their flight pondering over this predicament of hers. He couldn't help her, but he could at least make an effort to understand her.

* * *

Sheng came to the unfortunate conclusion that Sesshomaru was losing his mind. In a very lordly, discreet sense, if you would, but that just meant that Sesshomaru refused to admit it.

So, as an appropriate countermeasure and a guarantee to not be dismissed from service, Sheng worked out some minor little details which would attend to themselves, and packed his things to leave until his wise yet very young lord figured out his mating situation. From what he gathered about Kagome, it looked as though spring whelping was out of the question for those two, so a trip to tropical Tahiti was in the plans.

Plans change though... Abruptly, and not at the hands of those who crafted them in the first place. Well, not directly in their hands. In fact, this alteration was the expected result of having worked out those 'minor' details. Sheng just figured it would take longer than all of ten minutes for Sesshomaru to discover.

"Sheng," the dangerous and romantically disrupt man began, rounding the corner which Sheng had been approaching. He tried to turn on his heel and go for his room, but that would just be childish...

"I do not wish to speak with you," Sheng stated instead. Yes. That was less childish.

Sesshomaru was giving one of those smiles which sent Jaken running for the hills. Sheng just felt his toes tingle. He could beat Sesshomaru into submission if he ever wished to. It would just require a lot of time and blood, and he didn't feel like loosing either of those, thank you very much.

"You should know that what you want shies from acknowledgment compared to what this Sesshomaru wants," the lord stated icily, sounding calm yet stern, that positively vindictive smile still on his face. This wasn't going to work out too smoothly...

"Indeed," Sheng agreed, licking his lips and lifting his left hand, a habit of his for when he was going to begin something tricky. "I acknowledge that your being acknowledged in what you want comes before the wanting of my even being and wanting acknowledgment, however, should you be acknowledging my wanting acknowledgment then the wants would not be being."

Oh, how many meanings a few blinks had. One happened to be confusion. Sesshomaru usually wasn't taught up in such statements, though Sheng had the elements of personal sanity and elaborate nonsense on his side. For a short while. A very, very short while.

"Now then, your mother knows more of this than I, so I'll leave things in her hands."

Sheng was almost certain that he was going to get away with this. A fist knotted in the back of his collar though.

Damn.

"Not quite," Sesshomaru began. "This Sesshomaru is not convinced that the message has gotten across."

Sheng couldn't resist. "Would you like that I reiterate?"

A glance over his shoulder told him 'no'. Even in a random hallway, with Sheng armed with his own fur -a thing he hated wearing- and various ceramic jugs of sake strung over a shoulder, Sesshomaru still had the upper hand when it came to 'I'm a far scarier being than your humor will ever allow you to be' presence.

"That message would be my inquiry of why all official business has been shifted from _my_ line of servants to _yours_ without _my_ direct permission and approval. It seems that you have overstepped the boundaries of your position, counselor."

Sheng's fingers rhythmically flexed over the sake strings like the hem of a flamenco dancer's colorful dress. That was the only sign of his uncertainty. "Ah. Well, that is easy to explain. See, the council had a vote, and we all agreed that minor matters would be bettered handled by others until the major matter was settled.

That was indeed putting it gently. It was taken with a few pounds of salt though, as Sesshomaru's bitter expression revealed.

"Sesshy, are you picking fights with friends again?"

It was a saint from the heavens! Sheng had to admit, Li Hua had her perks, and this was an excellent one. Making her son mad.

Sesshomaru's anger was immediately and fully shifted to his mother, and that was Sheng's queue to 'slip away'. As in, in a flash and immediate and quickly as possibly fathomable. And he did.

* * *

Although Kagome had been glad to see Tōtōsai and Myoga again, it was sadly too much to ask of them to be ecstatic to see her. To them, it must have felt like a week since they'd last seen one another, and for her, that was depressing.

Sitting on a slight slope, where the snow had given way to the hot ground of Tōtōsai's home, she sighed and stared almost longingly at the mountain range, which was a light gray for its distance 

and for the low clouds today. They were surprisingly close to the ocean now, and the moisture kicked up by playful waves had a way of gathering to explore the land.

She sighed again. White and gray, cold, and all out of reach. How appropriate for her...

There was a pinch on the side of her neck, but she remained hugging her knees.

"I see something is troubling you?" asked Myoga, bouncing off her skin to stand on her forearm and face her.

"I'm fine," she replied, taking another deep breath.

The old flea frowned at her. "I may be a bug, and I may be a man, but I know when something is troubling a fair lady."

Kagome glanced down and to the left at him, moving only her eyes. She would have offered a smile, but her mouth was hidden by her folded arms. She was huddled in on herself, slightly, and her excuse was the random gusts of cold wind.

"Hm. Even if there was, I wouldn't want to talk about it," she informed. "Is Shippo still bothering Tōtōsai to end the winter vacation and get cracking on the daggers?"

"Yes. It's a madhouse in there," Myoga informed, his lower arms crossed while the upper ones scratched his balding scalp.

"Hey, Myoga?"

"Yes?"

"How can you talk when you don't have a tongue or lips?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Kagome!" came an all too familiar whine.

"Fight your own battles!" she yelled over her shoulder. Shippo stopped in mid run for her, and then huffed and turned back inside to batter with the old blacksmith. She turned to face forward again, and Myoga was looking up at her with absolute shock. "What?"

"That was not like you at all!" Myoga exclaimed, shocked and bewildered.

"Humans change, remember?" she asked.

"Yes, but never so dramatically," he stated. "Are you sure you have nothing to talk about? If you'd like, I'll never utter a word of it and just sit to listen."

"In other words, you'll fall asleep with your eyes open?" she jested.

"I am NOT that mean!" he defended himself, offended.

She hummed, a little happy yet still melancholy. She felt fine, but she knew that others saw a change.

Myoga sat and waited patiently, nestled rather comfortably in a crease of her sleeve. He had spent a little time shifting the fabrics to make it almost like an arm chair, and now he was relaxed and puffing at a very small pipe he kept in that travel bag of his. It was one of his simple pleasures in life, and the random whiffs of sweet cigar tobacco caught her attention every now and then. If it was a whole cigar, Kagome would have left by now and let him be. She normally couldn't stand the smell of it, but a little was fine.

"I've been accused of being in love with someone," she commented randomly.

"A curse of youth, I assure you," was Myoga's response.

She smiled. "I guess."

She was ready to go silent again, but Myoga wouldn't let the beginning hang over his head. "How did you meet?"

Kagome thought, and was humored. "He showed up on my doorstep one day..." Memories of them seething at one another after she dragged him through the barrier of her home flooded in, making her delay. "... And he needed a place to stay."

"Ah, so this happened in your time?"

That would be a good way to throw off the scent. "Yeah. In the future," she affirmed.

"Is that why you are here now?" he asked, little rings of smoke puffing from his beak, growing, and fading away.

"Not necessarily," Kagome answered. "I came because I had questions. And they've been answered."

"So then you are going home soon?" Myoga asked.

"... Maybe." She had thought about it. A lot. She could go home, and she could live with the facts she had before more questions arose. But... ... She didn't want to. "I still have one more question I need to ask someone. Then I can go home, or stay here."

Myoga nodded. The story telling shifted to why she had stayed away for so long, and from there they found entertainment in one another's company.

The sun was setting by the time Shippo convinced Tōtōsai to take on the project of altering the weapons. They were invited to stay the night so as to avoid traveling in the dark, but Shippo protested too much to not be heeded. So Kagome bid Tōtōsai farewell, made a comment of their next encounter being better, and was surprised that Myoga chose to go with them.

* * *

Time either flew by or crawled on its belly, and everyone knew that it went by just as slowly as you wished it to go quickly, and vice versa.

Five more days. Five more dreary and uneventful days, and he could see her again. Sesshomaru didn't know what he was thinking with having said he'd come see her in a month. He should have said a week! And if he had, then his desire for her mere presence would have been sated by now.

"Sesshomaru, sit down before you wear through the tatami mats," his mother scolded him. "The tea is getting cold."

The woman lied through her teeth. The teapot was suspended over a candle, there was no possible chance of it getting cold. He sighed though when he stopped, and the lack of movement made Tenseiga's rattling all the more evident.

"Growling at nothing is not becoming of a lord," she commented, nibbling on her cookies.

"Such is excusable, considering the fact that this Sesshomaru has not been permitted to be lord, should the council be heeded," he bit back. That little issue Sheng had left him to ponder over had happened a while ago, and it only gave Sesshomaru another reason to lose sleep at night.

"Your authority will be reinstated in six days," was her reply. "Depending, of course."

It was painfully obvious what the dependent variable was.

He turned away quickly enough to make his hair swing, and walked.

"Where are you going?" the question followed him.

"Wherever I so please."

'Wherever he so pleased' happened to be his room. He'd spent a lot of time there in the last-... Well, the last four years, but a significant amount in the last nine days, and his scent was beginning to hang thickly in the air. It was accompanied by the odors of frustration and impatience. It wasn't healthy for him to stay there. His instincts were screaming that he travel the lands, affirm their belonging to him, and then go woo the woman he sought. Of course, she probably wouldn't like to be courted again so soon, but that was one of the merry little challenges he looked forward to...

There was, however, one tiny obstacle -other than Kagome's stubbornness- in his way of continuing on with life. As degrading as it was, the great Lord of the Central Domain was grounded to the o-shiro by his insufferable mother, which didn't seem possible, but the woman had her ways. Such as calling back Jaken from his second round of soldier camp checkups.

The room's scent spiked even higher with frustration and impatience...

It took too much energy to be mad all the time, no matter how good of a job he was doing. It was only midday, and his mind was ladened with life's ordeals to the point that they also dragged at his body. Sometimes he didn't even want to get out from under the covers in the morning unless there was a damn good reason to. Such as food. Sheng had commented in passing not too long ago that Sesshomaru's appetite would grow outrageously, even more than it had in the last four years. It had something to do with women and the mating process, even though the latter was still only a vague possibility. Sesshomaru didn't know how that one worked, but the old man had his point proven.

Feeling extremely lazy and ready to wait for the day to fade to night, Sesshomaru surrendered himself to the force of gravity and flopped onto his bed, his mood too heavy to permit him a bounce in the landing. He recalled of that oddly padded bed he had used in the future. It was nice. If he could convince one of those to fold and be stuffed down the well, he'd do it. Now that he thought about it, one of the best aspects of that bed was it held traces of Kagome's scent, though he had found it a tad annoying the night he used it.

Hm... Her scent... He was definitely losing it.

Sesshomaru rubbed at his face with a now well practiced hand, trying to wipe away the thought of gathering the miko into his arms and breathing in her smell until even the surrounding odors were blotted out by her very existence. Kami, he was becoming pathetic. What was he to do though? There was no sword to seek and obtain, no child to take care of, no territory to conquer, no obligations to fulfill -thanks to a particular old bastard and his band of elder advisors-... Sesshomaru's job was just to exist right now, and it grated at his very soul.

His throat was beginning to sting for how frequently he'd been growling for the last week. His mood swings have been so bad that servants would prepare rooms with food and drink to satisfy a starving man before he'd even enter them, just to avoid his glare.

He rubbed his face again, failing to clear his mind of her. Too long... It's been far too long. They had been making such great progress, too, and what did he do? He screwed up, that's what he did. That grated at him even more than merely existing!

And now his throat hurt again. Was this one of those things men blamed women for? Minor insanity?

He wanted to be with her though. He wanted to know she was safe, and happy, and healthy. He wanted to hear her voice, no matter its tone, and he wanted to see her smile. He longed for her touch, for the feel of her, and sometimes his brief dreams would be so vivid that he'd wake up 

with the taste of her on his tongue. It was splendid, and he usually would roll over to try and start where it had left off.

Hm... Now that she was out of the reach of his self-indulgence, he had a lot of time to think about such things. He made several mental lists of what he enjoyed about that miko who had served only as a vice in his life mere years ago, and the features he thought of were present in at least every fourth female he's ever seen. He had thought he was insane for liking such commonplace things about Kagome, but now that he's come to terms with his emotions, he could admit that they were, indeed, general and weren't special at all. Such as her narrow hands, her glowing skin, certain curves of her body, the little freckles speckling her sparcely. They were very general. Normal. They were special though because they came from someone special to him, and they only had meaning because she gave them meaning. So, yes, everyone possessed what he loved about her. Such as, everyone has a distinguishing smell, but hers calmed him and stayed in the recesses of his mind for endearing spans of time. Everyone had a sense of humor, but hers always made him smile. Everyone could argue, but the seductively sarcastic tone which entered her voice when they bantered was unique and charming; in an annoying sort of way.

Then there were pleasant side effects. Such as good dreams. He loved dreaming. Also, she helped his mind whittle away at the time for many boring meetings and when he had absolutely nothing to do. Sometimes she even invaded if he needed a little bit of humor. He found himself having conversations with her without need of her presence, and it was on such occasions that his mother suggested he take the rest of the day off and cool his head. She didn't like her son smiling at nothing in particular. It usually meant that someone or something was about to die, if one based current reasoning off the past... Sesshomaru also found life to be full of interesting little details. He noticed these in people, nature, architecture, food... He was definitely hungry now. To continue, whatever was presented to him, he automatically compared it to Kagome or to something Kagome had shown him. She gave more volume and value to the little things in life, and that was what made the individual days distinguishable.

Sesshomaru had never met a woman before who could highlight the most minor things in life. It was when being around her that he actually felt alive. There were always stronger emotions, stronger sensations when she was near. He made memories worth recalling when she was within his sight, and everything would become so important and detailed that he was shocked that his senses never went into overload.

That's why he loved her.

Now he scrubbed his face with both hands. It was still odd to admit it, and this sudden infatuation and plague of sentimental feelings was irritating. He'd never wanted, or daresay needed, someone to be with him so badly before. It made him feel a little like a stalker, though that was impossible for his title. For him, being a lord as it were, it would be more like 'investment of a great deal of time and interest', not 'stalking'. Though the general principle was the same... And the next male to come along and become interested in Kagome was the next male to die in the world.

He sighed, imagining her giving a quizzical look over that last thought process of his, her blue 

eyes sparkling with the right corner of her mouth slightly pitched with humor and everything. Sesshomaru was tired of thinking these things over and over again. He was even repeating whole sentences of late. Then, for variety, he'd think of something else he loved about her. Her cleverness, her eyes, her giggle, the feel of her hair, the way she blushed around him, the manner in which she handled and quite possibly controlled others, that wild range of moods, how she gave off that splendid and fascinating scent whenever he wooed her... There were just too many things about her. Good, some of them. There were bad things, of course, but they all faded in comparison to the woman she was as a whole.

His fingers twitched, and he swore that for a second her hand had been in his. He was sure that he was slowly losing his grasp of some levels of reality. No one should ever be so enthralled with someone. Then again, what else should he expect? That's what she did to him. She was just herself, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Side effects included.

By the time he stopped thinking about her long enough to consider rolling to his side the sun was setting. Maybe he'd manage to get some sleep this time. After all, he didn't want to look like a ragged mutt when he saw her again.

... Yes. He was losing it. Maybe he'd get it back again some day.

* * *

**A/N:** So, I've gotten a lot of comments about the title. Truth be told, I wanted to call it something else relating to a season (Autumn and Summer being the ones remaining), and in further truth, I really didn't want to involve either of those seasons after actually thinking about it. Why? Because A: there would be a very good excuse for all of you to pester me for a fourth story to follow this one if I did, and B: this part is going to cover more than just one season they share together... ;)

Aside from that, in general, people have more common comments/complaints/demands/questions from many chapters, and I'm going to generalize them and supply responses for the masses.

-

1: Shippo steals? -gasp- The nerve! Kagome should scold him and tell him to never do it again!

Well, come on. What, exactly, are all foxes (real and demon) notorious for? ... Well, in case you don't know, it's theft. They steal everything. All of it. Even your sanity if they can. :P I don't think Shippo would be accepted immediately into his own community either if he started returning items and apologizing for his outrageous actions. He's a fox, not a human, and therefore is not bound to human laws of moral and religious acknowledgment of what is sinful. Most yōkai, I've noticed, are not. :P

-

2: So, is Sesshomaru going to turn into some sort of dog when he gets too old? Based on the wolves, that is.

No.

-

3: Oh! Poor wolves! You shouldn't have done that!

Hm... Well, I did, so now I have to make use of your mental scaring. -savors it-

-

4: Kagome's so mean to Inuyasha! And he's changed, too! Since when did he get so smart?

Yeah, about that. My general answer to such a comment is always laughter, but to be more specific, Inuyasha, in my and Sesshomaru's eyes, is an idiot. There. I said it. I-D-I-O-T. In regards to common sense, at least. And when it comes to idiocy, I'm a nigh-religious fanatic of the concept that anything can and will be beaten out of someone given time. And that is exactly why I don't have kids. :P

I'm mostly kidding. Next general statement:

-

5: Agh! You did it again! They're mad at each other! -continues to sob- It was still good though!

U-huh. See, that oxymoron in crying over it and it still being good is exactly how I feel about Inuyasha's minor abuse. Just different emotions.

Anyway, I'm also a firm believer in 'if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger', and so far the relationship hasn't died, so that means it's becoming more stable. Don't worry, they'll laugh about it all later. ... Well, at least one of them will. Depends on the memory. :P

Also, you cried over it?? -gives normal response of laughing- I don't recommend reading the other stories I'll write in the future then. ;)

-

6: Update! Update! Updateupdateupdate-incoherentwriting-UPDATE! PLEASE!

a- Please, for the love of macaroni, re-read what you write before posting it as a review.

b- Please, for the love of the English language, turn that Caps Lock off and use real punctuations and words to portray your emotions. Some of these reviews I have to read for five minutes to puzzle out the meanings. Example nine would be an accurate portrayal.

c- I will! I will! IwillIwillIwill-sarcasm-IWILL! OKAY! (This reply has just as much body and meaning as the above statement. Nada.)

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7: I like it. Update

Aaah... Glad you do. You damn well should if you've read this far. Now, let's get a little more specific, and say what you actually like so that this story is molded in part around what the readers want to read more of, shall we?

-

8: Sweet. Kagome's all jedi (spelling?) with her mind powers now. Awesome.

... Well, I know that basic concept from commercials and from witnessing social rapes of the Star Wars series, but I've personally never watched more than forty minutes of any of it in my whole life, and the instant Jaken dresses up in a robe and takes off that hat and learns to use his eyelids is the instant I lose respect for the Inuyasha series. -imitates odd space-toad's voice with personal quirk- "Use the force, dammit!"

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9: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHATHATWASSOFINGREATCANTWAIT4MORUPDATEASAPTHSIISAWESOMESOKOOL!! SRY FOR NO SPACES B4IM JUST SO HAPY AND EXCITEDED I JUT HAD 2 WRITEOMG I CANT WAITUPDATE SOON OR ILL DIE DX!!

... Oh my god, are you shitting me? -re-reads- Oh my god... Oh, my, god. You have **got** to be _the _worse-

**Host Site Notice:** We're sorry, but the following section has been removed from this chapter for its obscene nature. This may be due to there being an improper and unhealthy amount of cursing, slander, and/or profanity expressed in this portion of writing. Problems may also have occurred via repetitive keyboard smashing, crying over the computer and short circuiting it, or from the author attempting and failing to download a virus file to attach to the next review written like the above sample. For more information, please contact the author and inquire after consoling her. Only this section was removed from the site for reader safety, and the less offensive remainder will be displayed below. **End of Host Site Notice.**

-and fucking furthermore, I _swear_ the next _twat_ who **ever** plagues my eyes and mind with such **ghastly** and **sinfully** bad use of my mother tongue is going to-!

**Host Site Notice:** We're sorry, but the following section has been removed from this chapter for its obscene nature. This may be due to there being an improper and unhealthy amount of cursing, slander, and/or profanity expressed in this portion of writing. Problems may also have occurred via repetitive keyboard smashing, crying over the computer and short circuiting it, or from the author attempting and failing to download a virus file to attach to the next review written like the above sample. For more information, please contact the author and inquire after consoling her. Only this section was removed from the site for reader safety, and the less offensive remainder will be displayed below. **End of Host Site Notice.**

**Host Site Invitation: **If you feel the same way about such reviews, copy and paste this into your profile page! (Joking. Immensely. Don't. Not without telling me you did it. :P And I seriously do hate reviews like that. Do you think I won't read them unless they're all caps?? I read **and** reply to all the reply-worthy reviews, so please at least make it coherent. I mean, a lot people read those before reading the story, and reviews like that make me look bad.)

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10: It's okay. Could be better. Update soon please.

... Are you joking? You read this far, find that there isn't another chapter, and you leave _that_ for the overall review? At least have the decency to tell me _how_ it can be better, you lazy jerk.

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11: Loved it. I especially loved these parts! -points out at least one part- And this is why I loved them! -gives valid, insightful criticism- You are -something-. This story it -something-. Thanks for writing! Hope you update soon, but if not then I shall wait. Until next time!

... ... ... I... Love you. An actual review. As in, pinpointing something and _reviewing_ it! I **love** it, and you're my new bestest best friend in the whole fat world! -beams- And the compliments are just add-ons that make me blush and say 'I'm not that good, honest', despite the fact that deep down inside my ego spreads its wings and gives a victory cry whenever there's a fantastic compliment. Those who write such reviews (you all know who you are) have my eternal adoration. XD I can't wait to hear what all of you have to say for this chapter! -beams even more, coos, purrs contently, snuggles in on self, is elated, etc.- I write this story and post it for you guys and no one else. Heart my cross and die to hope! :D

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12:

I refuse to do another.

-

And I have gotten multiple of each of these examples, so I'm not picking on anyone. :D

Thanks for reading! I'll update ASAP!

AD


	3. Let's Talk

**A/N:** Well, first off, I want someone from MediaMiner to tell me how to reply to reviews! T-T I've tried everything I could think of, and no matter what I do I'm met up with a dead end for the idea. I love replying to reviews, and I hate to 'ignore' the ones I really want to reply to!

Aside from that... Oh yeah! I updated _within_ a month! -bows to imaginary applause-

Aside from that rare act of being egotistical, guess what! :D Read the chapter title! Fun chapter to be had, and you all deserve it for your patience and splendid reviews! Dear lord, I should bitch about reviews more. The last batch of them were so fantastic I about cried from happiness, and crying is a very rare thing in my life so take the compliment. I love all of you who actually broke away from the typical comments readers leave and wrote what was on your mind. I thoroughly enjoy reading what you have to say (even bits of your personal life, which a lot of you do) and it's fun if you bicker about a point, or get in my face about something, or even start wailing hysterically and order me to fix something.

Also, I have to say thank you all for all of your help, which you really do give. For example, a lot of people say that I'm making Sesshomaru obsessive (in a creepy way) and Kagome emotionless, and although I have my reasons it really helps when all of you make similar comments like that. So, in response to such reviews, an explanation will be built into a conversation soon. I always do that. Surprisingly enough, I don't start writing the next chapter until I get ten reviews for the latest, because I want to see where I have to improve and what I have to resolve/explain. So, all of you say I drive the plot forward and that everything has a natural flow, but all of you actually help quite a bit, and now that I've said that you should start seeing it. :P Heh, I feel like I just sold myself out for free. XD

So, one last itty-bitty-bit of information. I advise reading the Author Note at the end of this chapter before reviewing... U

Enjoy! Review, please! :D

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Let's Talk**

Inuyasha wasn't happy, and everyone always knew when he wasn't happy. Mostly because he had a very big mouth.

"You're _meeting _him?!"

"Yes," Kagome replied calmly through her teeth, picking some small fur balls out of the lined boots Kaede had given her over a month ago. She hated how the little collections of soft hair gathered up right where the undersides of her toes should be, it was so uncomfortable when walking on irregular ground.

"I'm coming with you."

"No," she enforced, her tone dull to match this argument. She was sitting on the ledge of the entrance to Sango's and Miroku's home, the genkan where the outdoor shoes and indoor slippers are kept, making the final preparations. "No matter how much you whine about it, you're staying here." Gripping the sides of the boot she shoved her right foot into the freshly cleaned out cavity. Her heel popped into its place, and wiggling her sock restricted toes experimentally she accepted that everything felt comfortable and good then set to lacing up. She had to admit, everything from the ankle down would feel 'exceptional' and 'great' instead if only there were proper ways to wash clothes in the middle of winter. It was rather difficult considering she was living approximately two hundred years before the birth of the man who would be struck with the brilliant idea of electricity via a kite line. Rinsing out her clothes every time she went to the hot spring would have to suffice, since her solitary bar of soap was already quite small and was on reserve for herself until she traveled back home.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, crossing his arms.

Kagome, while sharing a disapproving crease of her brow, commented to herself that Sesshomaru had a tendency to do a similar motion with his arms, save for he tucked his hands in opposing sleeves so that the fabric didn't crease over itself.

Inuyasha's face loomed back into reality when he spoke again. "I'm not whining, I'm arguing."

She blinked. "Well, whatever you're doing, it's still childish," Kagome chided, a tad bereft over the mental image yet smiling inside to herself. Good old Inuyasha. It was nice to see him as a constant variable in her frequently jostled life. He was always the same age, always annoyingly hard driven and stubborn, and always dim witted and thickheaded on all the worse subjects imaginable. It was amazing that he hadn't been banned yet by a majority preference from that village.

He growled faintly at her, a noise which she definitely would have missed if not for the last month of listening for such small sensory details. Honestly, it wasn't something she had consciously done, but when you live for so long with everyone having certain advantages over you you try to negate them.

"Don't you do that to me," she warned, making his ears shift forward with surprise. ... Funny, she didn't think he even had the muscles to move his ears like that... "And you better not think that I won't be feeling out where you are all day. I'll have you sealed on the roof if you try anything funny." So, if he didn't have underdeveloped muscles when it came to his deplorably adorable ears, then did he just have underdeveloped emotions which triggered their movement? Or... Or was it something completely different and which would leave her guessing for the rest of her days?

His arms tightened around one another, making the creases of his sleeves deepen, and his nose wrinkled as his face tilted away, ears back to their normal and lazy positions. He absolutely hated when she was winning an argument. Not only that, but when he was losing, too; which happened to be at the level of 'terribly', at the moment. There wasn't much for him to say to win at this point, which kept her happy and inspired a few hums of felicity.

As Kagome cleaned the remaining boot and secured it to her foot, Inuyasha continued with his quest to discourage her from 'imminent death'. She could only sigh at him as she finally lifted herself from the floor. Certainly, unless she were being illogical to think this, he wouldn't be so unbearable if he knew Kagome's history with Sesshomaru, would he? Despite the fact that telling everyone the 'why's and 'how's of recent events and how doing so would probably clear the uncertainty from the air, she kept that information to herself. It was odd to do so, and in some ways it was painful, but it would hurt even more to relive memories now. Also, she had an annoying habit of telling a story in a way that got people emotionally caught up in it with her, and if they were caught up and made the presumptions she unwittingly enforced in her tellings, then she'd think that others assumed and felt the same way she did.

Well, she was done with that ridiculous habit. She wasn't going to tell anyone anything -and Shippo wasn't either if he knew what was good for him- until she herself was sure; which, if she were more lucky than history proved possible, would be very soon. She refused, on this rare occasion, to tell only the one half of the story which she knew. ... It was a really good, Sesshomaru-bashing half though... ... Hm... Wait, no, she wasn't going to consider it. Nope, not her. Not a word. And neither was Shippo. ... Come to think of it, where was he?

A very misplaced scoff jarred Kagome from her musings almost painfully, and she glanced up at Inuyasha through her eyelashes to see what he was expecting of her.

He was just staring down the hall. Probably cleared his throat.

Great, now she felt bad for assuming the worse from him. On top of that, Kagome _still _felt guilty to not confide in friends right now, but... Oye, there was too much to think about... She felt liable to confide in the one person who was as equally involved as she was before ricocheting half developed ideas off of friends. Yes. She had to keep telling herself that to believe it. But, oh, to finally talk about things with _him_? It made her heart flutter, wanting to see his face. To see it very, very closely. And yet her rushing blood fell cold to the bottoms of her stomach and feet at the thought of what she had caught him doing... That idiot... That had a great thing going, too.

On that note, she didn't like thinking about heading out when she finished readying herself to find a farther off place to wait for Sesshomaru to find her, but she needed to be away from everyone to talk with him. ... The actual walking and waiting didn't bother her, it was the conversation she had in mind which made her shiver and her spirits teeter, and even thinking about it now had her sucking in her lower lip to worry it between her teeth.

There was that scoff again, and Kagome glanced over her shoulder to see the culprit of Inuyasha's noises. Shippo was in the entryway near the open door to a general hosting room -in which were expected things such as a room heating hibachi and a chabudai table- playing with his fox fire and making the odd suspended ball of green-blue-whatever flame stick a flapping, blazing tongue out at Inuyasha. Kagome had to admit, if she weren't so impressed she'd be laughing.

Upon seeing her, Shippo reclaimed his energy and scrambled away as though he were going to be disciplined. She swore, sometimes, it was very tempting to think that foxes were cousins of felines rather than canines... **Very** tempting...

"Are you leaving?"

Kagome looked over her other shoulder.

"Yeah," she replied with a faint smile to Sango. It didn't show to an obvious degree, but Kagome could tell her friend was a little worried. It was hidden deep behind her warm eyes, but after a few seconds of studying one another's faces Sango nodded and broke visual contact briefly.

Kagome couldn't help but to allow a real smile to pull at the corners of her mouth. It was an annoying thing to be mothered by a friend, to any degree, but it was also an awe inspiring thing that Sango, this woman who was shot in the back four and a half years ago and who clawed out of her own grave to seek revenge, was gifted with motherhood (something which Miroku was more than happy to give). Some would call having kids a burden, such as Kagome, but it actually warmed her heart to think that if anyone, ANYONE, dared messed with Sango's children, there would be hell and a swift death to pay. Also, to watch her and Miroku play with, feed, and cradle their children in their arms, even absentmindedly... There's an emotion which only certain combinations of people can inspire in someone, and Kagome had to admit she reacted strongly to the parental figures those two had become. It seemed like only yesterday when Sango slapped Miroku for groping her in public... ... ... Actually, it _was_ yesterday...

She giggled, pulling herself back to her original thought. Kagome was not a child though, and Sango seemed a little hard pressed not to believe it but kept it to herself.

"Alright," said the potentially deadly woman with a baby strapped to her back. "You plan on returning to change clothes?"

Okay, _now_ Kagome was grinning. That was a rather good time frame to put things in. "Of course. I'd rather come all the way back than go one way with that backpack."

The two of them giggled, Inuyasha observed, and Kagome hugged Sango goodbye. She turned and slid open the rice paper shōji doors, walked into the wooden engawa hallway which was lit by the rooms it bordered, then slid open a wooden protective amado door to let in the light of day. There was the distinct scraping pitter-patter of feet when authentic light broke in through the wafting snow of the day.

... Of _course_ it was snowing...

"Well, have fun!" Shippo wished a tad sarcastically, running outside as though making a break for it. She quickly grabbed him off the ground with a smile though, to his displeasure. "Hey!"

"Got'cha!" she giggled, giving him a bear hug as he struggled with all his childhood might against it. He was soon released and went bounding on all fours for Ah-Un, where Rin and Kohaku were already playing in the snow. It was nice to see that Shippo could cope with humans and yōkai at the same time, and odd that he ran away from her affection now. Well, that was alright. Any boy would at his age. Besides, it was fair exchange for the hug, which she had needed.

Kagome watched as Inuyasha stepped outside -barefoot, as baffling as that was- onto the low stone which buffered the gap between the engawa and the ground, and he turned to give his 'I'm a bit peeved right now' expression, which was emphasized by his pose. This time he crossed his arms inside his sleeves to guard them from the cold, and she bit the inside of her lower lip.

"..."

"..."

Inuyasha sighed, loud and exaggerated with a wide open mouth. "... You're sure you want to go alone?"

"... Hm," she hummed, nodding and stepping outside to walk up to him across the packed icy snow. "Yeah. I'll be back tonight though."

"That long?" he asked, his face actually softening for once in his life so his eyebrows could rise. He looked so innocent when he wasn't scowling.

"Maybe sooner," she supplied with a slight shrug. "Or even later. I'm not sure. I don't want you to come looking for me though, even if the sun sets and rises three times again." It wouldn't be setting for a while, since it was still laboring towards its apex. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

He studied her, ears twitching minutely, then scrubbed a set of claws against the back of his head. His left hand went to his hip, and his right knee loosened to give off a completely different bodily message. He looked uncertain.

"Yeah, alright. Just don't do anything stupid, got that?"

She grinned from ear to ear. "Got it."

Kagome was passing through the opened two story high gate when she turned and waved back at everyone still in Sango's home. Sango, Inuyasha, and Shippo waved back. They were the only ones who had seen her gesture.

She turned back around, ready to face today, and a snowflake landed right in her eye with a gust of wind.

"KYEAH!!" She slapped her hands over her violated eye, waiting for the fresh water to change to a tolerable temperature.

"You're sure you don't want-?"

"SIT BOY!!"

And with that, she was on her way.

* * *

There are very few things in this world which Sesshomaru forgives anyone for. Testing his patience was not on that list...

His mother, seated well away on the other end of the table, studied him with a skeptical eye.

Confounded woman... How dare she keep him here, on these grounds, for so long? As soon as the council decided to heed him once more he was banning that infuriating female from Japan and shipping her off to China.

"I do not favor that look in your eyes, my son," she stated, sounding completely normal and conversational save for the stiffness of a reproach in her voice.

"As well you should not," he replied. This was a waste of time. He was tired of waiting. He had been waiting for two weeks, now she's been retaining him there since sunrise.

She sighed through her nose, the sound as faint as a moth batting its wings. "You do realize this is merely for your own good."

No, actually, he did not.

"If you were to go barging in demanding her attention at any hour of the day, I can assure you your conversation would not begin on good footing."

"Such is typically the case," he informed. Since when had any of their conversations started off well? Rarely. Even when he would visit her at night she would ask "what the hell do you want". At least a third of the time. In fact, a part of him wanted her to shun his presence today. It was refreshing to work at turning her opinion in the completely opposite direction, and the more she refused the more entertaining and rewarding the results were. One would never guess as much, but it worked too well to not be true.

His mother stared at him, looking a little annoyed, over the brim of her tea mug. "That sounds absolutely dreadful," she finally commented, glancing to the side. "Hm. No _won_der she left..."

There was a hideous crack, and Sesshomaru was just as shocked as she when he looked down at his hand. His fingers were clenched above the base of his jagged, freshly shortened fine ceramic mug, the larger curved pieces still teetering in the light green tea on the table as the liquid spread. A servant hurried silently over to wipe up the mess as a different one set another mug onto the table and poured fresh tea into it.

He smelled copper, then uncurled his fingers and saw small rivulets of red.

Well... This was interesting. The young girl who had removed the mess now handled a new cloth and gently tried to take Sesshomaru's slightly bleeding hand into the white fabric. She flinched horribly when he yanked his fingers away and set to picking small ceramic pieces out of his skin himself. How dare she try and touch him.

"... You have changed."

He paused, considering his mother's words, and concluded he was not in the least bit interested. "Really."

"Truly," she answered, taking a sip as he removed the last shard. His skin sealed once more, leaving behind a very misplaced red bead. She nodded to the servant to leave the cloth, and when the youth did Sesshomaru decided to wipe the tea and blood from his hand. "Perhaps, in a unique way, it is a good thing. ... I see no reason to retain you any longer. You may leave."

There were Chinese fireworks _everywhere_, but that was for Sesshomaru alone as he stood and walked out the door. He was leaving! It was a splendid sensation! He had to compensate for his very internal celebration by having complete control of his bodily actions, save for walking a tad more hastily than a lord normally would. That was fine though, one would have to know his normal pace to know he was walking faster than usual. ... That, or notice how the loose articles on his person had a tendency to billow back slightly.

Upon exiting the conjoined room to enter a hall, Jaken exclaimed his lord's name once, but Sesshomaru ignored him. Perhaps, as soon as he was sick of having something to kick, he would send Jaken back to where he came from in a prominently swamp territory. Truthfully, the toad yōkai had originally only been permitted within Sesshomaru's sight because he could use the Staff of Two Heads. Now that utensil served no purpose, and nor did its user. Such was fact. Regardless, Jaken would be better off with this own rather than looked down upon by even servants here. He had been a lord among his kind, and forsook his position to tail Sesshomaru in rather eerie adoration. So long ago, that much could have easily been dealt with, though it was hard even for an inugami daiyōkai to look at a small being who groveled at your feet with just a glance and to consider decapitation. Instead, Jaken has survived many encounters with Sesshomaru's shoe and Tenseiga's sheath.

Aside from all of those excellent reasons for why Sesshomaru should be freed from his little green stalker, one of the better ones was simply that Jaken was a grotesquely misplaced figure on the o-shiro, and that did nothing for Sesshomaru's reputation. Yes, the toad had served to guard Rin and Kohaku from any nonchalant death sentence for their month on the o-shiro, and watched over them beforehand, but that also was no longer needed. Rather than protect children, Sesshomaru was in the hard-driven stage of his life where he wanted some of his own, and it was made no easier with a little green pest searching for you at any given time. Kagome would have none of that.

Now outside, Sesshomaru wrapped himself in his energy and darted like a falling star from the o-shiro.

He was in motion. Progressive motion. It was excellent. It didn't last long though... Within a few seconds he landed, on the other half of Japan which was part of the old Western Lands, and came to a stop.

He found himself in the clearing over which the Goshinboku tree watched, towering above the nearby woods.

The well use to be here... Sesshomaru was not going to forget it any time soon. It had been a focused location where Naraku chose to meet his demise, an old well which he had thought served no purpose. At the end of the first fight he'd had with Bashamon, that well had caught him in landing from quite the displeasing attack, and held him suspended above the mystic depths until a particular sick pubescent miko came running uselessly over to trip onto his delusional self and send them both tumbling five hundred years into the future.

Who would have ever imagined such a thing to even be... Well, _imaginable_.

The thought of it was now something he could smile about, though he had not been too happy with awakening in 'a box in the ground' while horribly injured and near a miko, of all things. ... Hm... Maybe he _had_ changed. Minutely. If at all. That was a rather large 'if'.

He sighed faintly and took his mind off the seemingly distant past. Four years was not designed to seem 'distant' to yōkai who have attained well over seven hundred in age.

Sesshomaru discovered quickly that Kagome was not in this village, and concluded that the only other place she'd be was where Rin stayed. At that village.

Flying for that place was a usual thing, until of late. Sesshomaru use to tolerate his brother's presence long enough to check up on Rin, sometimes leaving her with a little something humans would find valuable. She was welcome to do whatever she wished with it. Keep it, give it away, sell it, anything that would make her happy, and he told her that. It was interesting to see other little girls of the village at times wearing a rich silk kimono he had brought for Rin, and after asking her about it she said the darnest thing.

"_I just don't need it."_

Sesshomaru hadn't known what to think of that at first. He knew that Rin was the orphan of the village, and although she was well loved it was not only easy but also a part of human nature to take valuables from someone weaker. That was natural selection, and instincts should have driven the girl to find people who would protect her from such a happenstance. It was Rin's choice to not pick a family to be with though, for whatever reasons she had, and despite the lack of comfort found in parents she did quite well. Besides, Kohaku would keep an eye on her.

Kagome's splendid scent greeted him before he met his destination, the walls merely one hundred feet away. He stopped to ascertain where she was, and noted it was snowing in this location.

"Oye!"

Oh, kami, not him... Sesshomaru should have just left, but his curiosity got the better of him and turned his head.

Inuyasha had just closed the gap between them, lessening it now to fifteen feet. The boy was glaring at him, for some reason.

"Oye!" he repeated like the genius he was. "I have questions, Sesshomaru!"

The inugami daiyōkai frowned faintly, his customary look for having to tolerate the sight of his half brother. It was nothing personal, he was well over the inheritance shock, now it was simply a matter of how he just despised idiots.

"This Sesshomaru's time and patience are limited," he practically growled. "You would do well to shorten neither."

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha brushed the warning aside. "Listen, what the hell are you going to talk to Kagome about!"

... "If she chose to not inform you herself, then you should know better than to expect an answer from me." Besides, he only knew vaguely based off of their last encounter, and since she would most likely be doing all of the talking then he could honestly admit that he had no idea what they were going to talk about. The more interesting part of that though, Kagome didn't tell anyone? Anything? No, that was unrealistic, she was a female after all. Surely in the time frame of two weeks that woman had to have emotionally confided in _someone_. Then again, her stubbornness could prove him otherwise... She could put his mother to shame in that category, and... And that was a scary thought.

"Keh!" Inuyasha barked. "Listen, you bastard. I don't know what you said to her or why the hell the two of you are meeting, but if she comes back as depressed as she was two weeks ago then expect to be missing an arm again."

Kagome was sad? The fact that it was his fault didn't help at all... "Fool. What will be said shall be said. However she reacts to it is her decision." Did this mean he was going to be greeted by tears or by threats on his life in a few minutes? Quite frankly, he preferred the threats...

"Why you-!" Inuyasha seethed, hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga despite the fact that Sesshomaru had come unarmed.

Let's see... How to leave Inuyasha so he will not follow and with the knowledge that he is, indeed, a moron... Kagome's example was the best candidate for the job.

"Sit boy."

Inuyasha was so petrified that he actually did sit, in a way. 'Fell on his ass' was more accurate.

Sesshomaru imagined that his half brother was yelling threats by now, but that was none of his concern. He was gone, and after a thousand or so feet through the woods he paused to determine Kagome's exact location.

...

Hm... She was close... To the right, and quite a good distance away from the village for traveling on foot. And she was alone.

Although he knew this encounter was bound to have quite a few downsides, it was already quite promising.

* * *

This encounter was going to be absolutely dreadful...

At least, if Kagome knew any better. She had female instinct going for her though, so she couldn't be too far off. Then again, she was also Kagome... If she even _had_ a wit of instinct, she wouldn't have been dragged through the well by a nudist lesbian centipede in the first place. Dammit, why her?

Such were her thoughts as she cut branches with focused amounts of her energy. For the last hour she had been trekking the nearby humongous hills which were separated from the slayer village by a flat plain. Her goal was to get over two in total and wait in the following valley which would direct hers and Sesshomaru's voices elsewhere. Alas, so far, she had only gotten halfway and was already tired.

She gave a huge sigh as she flopped down onto her select pine branches in the shade, disturbing some poor woodland creature from its perch. She'd feel a little bad for that if its rustling flight from her hadn't caused a white poof of snow to speckle her face. Even while under these thick trees the snow fell on her... She not only didn't have instincts, she lacked severely in luck as well!

She sat up, legs straight out and propped on one arm, wiped her face with the cool sleeve of her freshly rinsed white haori, and looked around.

There were misplaced colors in a familiar shape ahead...

"WHOAH!" she screamed suddenly, arms flinging into the air as her body tried to act without her permission. Her heel dug into the snow through the soft pine needles, allowed her leg to lurch her back, and her forearms in a desperate attempt to be a brace ended up sinking into the snow behind her. "Don't DO that!" she yelled, yanking her now cold limbs back to herself.

Despite his obvious confusion, Sesshomaru smiled down at her not too far away. "Surely you sensed my approach."

"Well, I can assure you I _didn't_," Kagome snapped, her heart racing and warming her skin so as to melt the snow into little rivulets starting at the elbows. She shoved her arms into opposing sleeves to dry and thaw, the fabric draping over her abdomen.

Steeling herself to bear the sight of him, Kagome looked up, ready to share in full detail what was on her mind... And the words simply vanished. Her heart wanted to reach out and grab him and never let go, and it hurt to keep it at bay. She didn't want to open herself up like that. She wanted to be strong for this.

"... Um, you're too early," she informed him while kicking the thought of her last night with him into the corner of her mind. Oh, yes, that statement was strong. A huge list of better ones was quickly forming.

His head tilted to the side ever so slightly. "That does not say much for yourself."

"... Huh?"

"You are far earlier."

"..." True. Ugh, she hated being in the emotional middle of mad and eased. She was glad to see him, so glad she wanted to cry for how pathetic it was, and yet she wasn't. She wanted to confide in him, and at the same time she wanted to hurt him and never see him ever again. She felt uncomfortable in her own skin, and it was irritating. "Not really. I'm actually not done walking, so I'm going to get back to that now."

A shade of disappointment skittered across his face, or so it seemed. Maybe the shadows were playing games with her. Or maybe he expected a different manner of reuniting? Probably a spiritual beating, if he knew any better. In fact, that sounded absolutely delightful. He deserved it, for... For _that_. For a lot of stuff, actually. Hell, why not, in the grand scheme of things, he deserved life in jail where the men are all friendly so long as you get breasts tattooed on your back and pick up the damn soap. ... Okay, maybe she was being a little too vindictive.

"Besides, I prefer talking when I sound horribly out of breath," she lied, now a little sour with thoughts of a smirking Chiro dancing across her mind like a delighted and treacherous Kikyo reincarnate; though Kagome couldn't recall her predecessor ever smiling...

"Why do you choose to travel further?" Sesshomaru asked, disapproving of the effort.

"Because," Kagome replied with a slight snip, "I want to be out of earshot so that no one can interrupt my kicking of your regal ass until nightfall."

There. She admitted it, she was pissed.

He seemed to think she was joking, considering there was a funny little smile on his damnably gorgeous face, so she shared a glare with him since her scent wasn't getting the message across; the wind wasn't going the right direction, that's probably why. Damn, she had thought that after two weeks of not being bitter she'd be able to bottle it up upon seeing him again.

Nope. Someone decided to punch air holes into the lid of her emotion jar.

"You are mad," he informed needlessly.

"You are correct," she verified, taking her first steps onto the slope of the next hill, muscles protesting as they lifted her feet from the confines of the thick and heavy snow with every step. Winter was coming to an end. "And don't even _begin_ to think that I have no right to be! If I knew what was good for me, I'd be on the other side of that well and ordering heavy machinery to dig it out and drop the remains somewhere in the central Pacific!" ... Though wood did have a tendency to float... Damn, she'd have to burn it then.

There was no response. For some reason his silence was the most irritating thing he could possibly do, so she stopped staring at the hill face and regarded him. "Say something, yōkai."

Sesshomaru was so taken aback that he stopped following and his brow furrowed slightly.

Kagome felt odd with her arms crossed and glaring downhill at him, and not even using his name. ... Actually, now that she thought about it, she just switched their positions. And he didn't like it.

"Nothing worth stating comes to mind," he supplied, studying her. "You have your reasons to be frustrated. If either of us has a need to speak, it is not I."

... "Uh!" she breathed in a vexed manner, turning back around and continuing to walk. How dare he not be irked! "I'd keep the silence at bay until _dawn_!"

She heard him resume his pace once more behind her. So, lords _could _trudge through the snow. "I invite you to do so."

AGH! Damn him! He wasn't supposed to be cooperative! He should be just as mad as she was so she wasn't the only one and then she could yell and scream and-!

She wheeled around with anger and balled fists and punched the left side of his jaw as hard as she could.

Kagome watched, shocked yet feeling achieved. His head turned from the contact, naturally, but he didn't flinch. He looked at her from the corner of his eye though, completely calm, skin slowly flushing where she struck.

Her throat hitched, and all of her anger suddenly melted into a terrible sadness that began to gather treacherously in her eyes. She couldn't bite her lower lip before it bunched up oddly with displeasure, making her chin wrinkle and the corners of her mouth droop, and her cheeks lifted as though to catch the tears.

"**Oh**, I should **hate** you!" she yelled with a practical sob and bared teeth, backhanding him without a second thought and storming off once more so he wouldn't see her cry. She screamed with frustration at the hill and walked in a manner more suited to someone carrying dumbbells. "I **should**! I have a **right** to! I should tell you to go to **hell** and **never** come back!"

Her face was hot and the tears ran cold. This all felt wrong. So very wrong.

"You are overreacting."

"..." She came to a stop, wiped her eyes, turned, and went right back down to get within three inches of his pale and ridiculously feminine face. "You should be thanking every deity that you're still standing here! Do you understand me!"

Beyond the two pink blotches on his face he looked annoyed, which was very easy to see from that distance, and leaned back for some personal space.

She was so angry that she swore something was going to shatter.

"Don't like this?" she demanded. "Well, too bad, because if I was _stuck_ living the rest of my days with you this would likely happen again!"

She pulled away, sighed so hard that it turned into an "OOH!", threw her arms into the air, continued on her way, and her hands landed in a knotting mesh atop her head.

"This is crazy!" she yelled to herself, for some reason thinking about how marvelous it had been not that long ago to have his face so close. "I shouldn't even _think_ of us being a couple as even _likely_! It's the most ridiculous and cliché thing that even irony can think of! It's impossible!"

She reached the top of the hill in record stomping time and just kept marching onwards. Her eyes began leaking again, so she continued to yell to quell their flow and to get Sesshomaru equally riled up, if he was even there still; she was too mad to use her energy properly at all. Kagome hoped he _was _there though. She wanted Sesshomaru to be angry. She wanted to be on equal grounds so that he'd fuel her anger with his own and give it more justification.

"I mean... It's just so preposterous! We're different species, different ages, different entities, we even have different cultures, and that's the _worse_ part! We're completely **wrong** for one another!"

"Explain."

The one word wonder... She shook her head at the ground, which blurred right now. Dammit! "Why should I? You already know everything there is to be said about it!"

"I wish to know what you are thinking, not to verify facts."

... She wanted look at him. Just to see if there was some glimmer of emotion on that mask of his. Oh well, screw him, the majority of her didn't want to. Besides, she'd already seen how his mother had reacted to such 'concerns', giving improbable excuses which Sesshomaru didn't seem able to uphold to every single one, and she didn't want to see if he'd do the same. She didn't want to hear that she would be loved, and protected, and cherished. The timing was wrong. So absolutely wrong, and gone. Then again, since it was gone, then she could see his reactions with no remorse. Right? Sure, yes, of course.

"Fine. If you want me for a mate, then you'd also have to want a _burden_. I'm human, a miko, a commoner compared to you, not meek like you're used to, and I'm going to die well within eighty years. While I'm alive, I and my children would be victimized constantly by those who see me as unfit to be by your side, and your reputation will go to utter shit. I would also never allow you to intimately touch another woman for the rest of my days, and I highly doubt that I can satisfy your wants and needs if you expect to have a harem to service them. So, all in all, if we were together, we'd have to change into somebody else for the other person, and that's never good for _any_ kind of relationship!" Even though she was walking downhill, she was breathing heavily. "Put that way, I would never want to live with you. It sounds like hell, and just being there for a month was nearly unbearable with how boring it was."

There was a faint chuckle.

"What?" she asked, almost moaned. Arguments were tiring, especially when you were trudging through snow at the same time.

"You need not worry about all of that."

... Ooooooooooye... She wished there was a pause button for life. And a rewind while she was at it. Maybe some skips, too. She stopped walking and sat down instead, not caring that her butt was bound to get soaked from such an action.

"Are you well?"

"Bodily, yes," she replied, wiping her face dry again. "My heart may need some tuning, but aside from that, I'm completely healthy. No thanks to you."

The dull compacting of snow came closer, from her left, and stopped about five feet away.

Kagome dared a peek and noted that Sesshomaru was having a seat as well, keeping his distance. He regarded her when she failed to look away, so she frowned and furiously broke eye contact. She felt so immature, but it was so justified.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. It felt like a foreign wedge loosened from her chest, but her stomach fluttered almost sickeningly.

"It did not seem required," he explained. "It is difficult to consider such things when you are raised knowing of them and capable of sensing them."

She frowned. "You didn't even try then. You've lived for a full month in the future, you should have at least _guessed_ as much."

"I could say the same," he retorted. "You have spent one month at the o-shiro, and have apparently had nothing better to do other than observe."

She got angry again. "It's not the same!"

"How so?" he demanded.

"It just isn't!" she yelled, now looking at him again.

He frowned.

She clenched her fists. "Fine! Example! How would _you_ like to catch me sleeping with Inuyasha on the condition that such a thing is normal in my time?!"

He looked even more mad now at that thought than he had been with her hand prints burnt into his neck a month ago.

"What's the difference!" she demanded. "To me, you've already done something just as bad! Don't you understand that?!"

"There is the difference that women are likely to get pregnant from such encounters," he growled.

Kagome was utterly shocked. What? What what what? What kind of underdeveloped, woman suppressing country did this guy come fr- Oh, right. "... Oh... Kami... That's despicable..." That didn't improve either of their moods. "So you justify yourself on the condition that _you_ can just up and leave the baby?"

"No," Sesshomaru replied sharply. "On the condition that Chiro is and has been sterile, whereas you are not."

... "So?"

They were definitely not seeing eye to eye.

"This is the way I see it," Kagome began. "You, four years ago, get absolutely _dumped_ onto my hands, and I feel liable to offer you a place to stay solely because I know and believe that you come from this time. In exchange for giving you a place to stay and trying to keep you busy and entertained, I was never addressed by name, was never regarded as something more than a servant or source of entertainment, and for some reason I started to get a crush on you. Then you leave for four years, and my love life is completely shattered. I haven't kissed another man, and although I've tried dating and looking for someone no one was good. Not even Keiji, and he was quite the stud and very interested in me and just about perfect. So, the well re-opened, I came back, and what happens? I wanted to know where I stood with Inuyasha and dare to kiss him. You see it and leave, like you're completely jealous, and that left me to just be mad because of your damn timing and your unwillingness to even say hello! So then I spent all that time looking for you and finding transportation, and what greets me is arrows and a pissed off yōkai lord who would rather break my clavicle that even hear me out!"

She needed to breathe, and glared at him. He wasn't looking at her, but he was listening, so she went on.

"So, promptly after that I'm told that I have to stay there for a full month. I hated it, then three weeks ago we started... Feeling better around one another, and my distraught love life started to sort out, and then I catch you with her because you can't keep your _thing _in your pants, you jerk-off! Ugh! I really _should_ hate you! I don't even know how many women you've laid in the last four years whereas _I've_ kept my sexual frustrations all to _myself_!"

Now that she was done with that part, the embarrassment tickled her mind.

"I feel like an idiot for being hung up on you," Kagome admitted, biting her lower lip in hopes that it would hold the tears at bay. "I really, really do. I should go home, seal off the well, and invite Keiji to spend the night. Then broaden my dating options."

"Do not consider it."

She fixed a scowl at Sesshomaru, who was his normal, unreadable, unbearable self again.

"Why the hell not?" she asked. "Nothing's written in stone between us. You think a few kisses and groping will act like a leash around my neck? I can go and do whatever I damn well wish, and I won't have to feel bad about one second of it."

"You could," he agreed, finally acknowledging the fact that she had such rights despite being a female. "Those men would not live long though."

"You wouldn't follow me," she informed. "The well won't work, so you can't follow."

"Then five hundred years from now I will go to Tokyo and dispose of any man you pursue."

"That's disgusting," she informed him.

"It is natural," Sesshomaru defended. "I know you are still interested in me, and I know that pursuing other men is just a means to try and make yourself feel better by summoning territorial actions from me. Competition will be dealt with as I see fit, until either you accept me or lose your undeniable want for me."

Kagome suddenly didn't feel very safe, and actually a little guilty. "So, what, are you a stalker now?"

"No," he answered smoothly. "I am a man who knows both who he seeks and who seeks him. Your experimental foolishness is not something that requires my tolerance, and should not even exist."

Kagome's whole face and body got into her emotional storm. "What would you do about it then, huh? What if I didn't care how many men you killed? What then?"

"Do not flatter yourself," Sesshomaru scolded, pointedly not looking at her. "I admire your intellect and strengths, but I cannot allow myself to remain with someone who would sell her nature just to try and make me angry. I will love you as you are, and always will, but things can and will change if you are too weak to resist losing yourself to this anger and spite."

Kagome flinched as though she were physically struck, and suddenly felt ashamed and couldn't face him anymore.

"... I've never held a grudge like this before," she admitted. "Your point works both ways though. I don't want a man who will ridicule and give up on me whenever I get mad. ... I need someone who can admit his mistakes, and who can show dedication to me. I can't be myself around someone who isn't like that, Sesshomaru. So, because of that..." She felt like her throat would break itself just to keep her from finishing. "Because of that, I have to tell you to look for someone else... I can't be what you need, I can't give what I don't have, and I can't change who I am. I wouldn't survive with you, and I refuse to die trying."

There was a moment of silence. It lasted for theoretical hours.

"Kagome, what do you feel for me?"

She closed her eyes. So tightly it actually hurt. She knew he wasn't asking her to repeat everything she had just said.

"I can't say," she answered, wiping her nose and sniffling.

"In other words, you choose not to," Sesshomaru supplied.

How dare he make her feel so horrible... "If you're an ass, I guess you could say that."

"Kagome."

The weight inside of her shifted, drawing her attention to him. She couldn't stop herself. She had to see him. And she did.

He was frowning, but he wasn't mad. His golden eyes were sharp, but for an unidentifiable reason. He was looking right at her as though trying to distinguish the very colors of her soul.

She wanted to whimper. She wanted to look away and cover herself in layers of blankets. Wanted to run from all of this, to leave it five hundred years away and to try and live on without hating herself for fleeing.

"Kagome," he repeated, anchoring her reality to this place. To this time. This moment which bore so much weight that it threatened to break her. "I need to hear you." She felt like she was the only thing in his life right now, receiving more attention than she could possibly stand. He was memorizing her, training every sense he possessed onto her, and she wanted to cringe, afraid of what he might find. "I need to know."

She felt weak, and scared, and loathed it. Her heart was replaced with a humming bird, and this lack of breathing was going to kill her. Was she being foolish? Did admitting it to him and to herself mean that her life would change for ever? Did three words have so much merit? So much value? Even if she did admit it, so what? She was free to ignore it. Free to do what she wanted in life. She had no ties, and didn't abide by anyone else's rules. She was free, and unsuppressed, and could do whatever she wanted.

Something, a piece so infinitely small that it could hide suspended right in front of your face, added itself to that thought process.

If she was free... and had no ties in life... then, why couldn't she say it?

More pieces tumbled into place, like watching an avalanche in reverse. She had no restrictions, and was perfectly capable of anything, but she couldn't? That didn't make sense. Where was this suppression coming from? She was being suppressed?? By herself? That still didn't make sense, but things shattered into place and tore into alignment. Why? Why was she afraid? What was there to lose? There was only something to gain, right? Unless...

Unless he rejected her.

Her heart lurched so strongly, so repulsed by this concept, that she actually lifted a hand over it and forced herself to breathe.

What if she wasn't good enough? What if he didn't want her? What if she opened up her very soul to him, willing to give everything she had to offer, and he tossed the key aside and walked away? She would feel horrible. Broken. Worthless. Unappreciated. Undesired.

Undesired...

He didn't respond to her kiss...

"Kagome?"

She was reeled back in from her thoughts, and noticed there was a hand on her shoulder. Looking over, Sesshomaru was studying her, looking ever so slightly worried.

Her mouth was dry, and surprisingly her eyes were, too. "I..." Am what? Not good enough for him? A wasted endeavor? Better left for another woman? ... No. No, she wasn't. "I think... That I'm worthy of love."

The sun was let in, and the windows were opened. She felt... Lighter. He didn't react to her words, only waited. He wanted to hear more.

"I think that I can give love to someone who loves me equally," she continued, a peculiar swell of pride welling up inside of her, pushing all other emotions to the sidelines. "I think I deserve to be the number one priority in someone's life, not the second."

He observed, weighed these facts, and for some reason she didn't care. She was light, and actually felt joyous, her heart racing with her into this childish sense of carelessness. That's exactly what it was, and yet so much more. Who cared what he said in reply, because she knew what _she_ said. She wasn't going to watch as he went for another woman, like she had let Inuyasha do. She wasn't going to allow herself to feel second best to someone who wasn't worth it. She could be first. She **should** be first. She deserved it, and it was about damn time she got it. She didn't need to be emotional and stubborn and uncertain anymore. She could be herself, and for no reason other than simply being.

She smiled at Sesshomaru, and was not only impressed but delighted that he had a small smirk on his face.

"You have your work cut out for you if you expect to meet my expectations, Sesshomaru," she told him rather cockily. Her heart twitter-pattered when he gave her a full and genuine smile.

"I look forward to it."

In honor of Kagome being ready to lose her ass to frostbite, Sesshomaru took her back to the village and they parted ways.

Inuyasha came just in time to miss the departure of his half brother, and Kagome still felt like the sun had rudely invaded her person, bringing music and cookies with it.

"Alright, what happened?" Inuyasha demanded, glaring after Sesshomaru rather than looking at her.

"Oh, nothing other than enlightenment," Kagome replied, turning her smile onto Inuyasha. "Sit boy."

* * *

Sesshomaru's mother was, to say the least, blown off the perch of reality when her son came home with a smile on his face. A _smile_. What the hell did he do, kill something?

"This is a surprise, Sesshomaru," she commented. "I was led to believe you would not be satisfied until you had covered yourself in her scent." He barely smelled like her. Didn't they touch at all? It seemed like they just... Just _sat_ next to one another.

Grinning like a child who had a secret, he regarded her. "There are more rewarding things in life than copulation."

"..."

He walked away, flagging down the next available servant and scaring the shit out of them. Apparently, Sesshomaru was hungry, and he actually _asked_ for food to be prepared.

"..." Alright. Her son had definitely changed... But... ... But it was such a great thing to see, and smiling became contagious that day.

* * *

**A/N**: Did I make you wait long enough for that? XD I've been wanting to write something like that for a long time. Kagome's revelation! Honestly, you can't say that any self-respecting girl would tell their crush that they're allowed to pursue someone else while they wait for them. It's just not healthy, and that bitter-sweet moment Takahashi was aiming for in the anime (I can't remember the episode name for number for the life of me, but it was where Kagome was waiting for Inuyasha on the lip of the well, sun shining everywhere, birds and butterflies and enough of both to make Disney itself sick, and the ONLY time a lock of her hair is persistent to stay in front of her ear to make her look like Kikyo and oooooooh!! .) Yeah, that one. If you can't tell, the sentimental feelings went right over my head. My friends cooed over the scene and said it was 'soooooo sweet', and I was starting to lay bets with myself on which episode Kagome was going to mentally snap and drag him screaming into the woods for a very non romantic way of venting. That girl is WAY too patient, and I'd imagine that sacrificing herself over and over and OVER again would have long term effects.

So, yes, Kagome officially respects herself to a **very** healthy level in this story, and I know, things like that don't happen overnight, and she'll go back and forth for a little while longer, but for the most part, just make my job easier and accept that miracles can occur. ;D

So, what will happen in the next chapter? Haha, you have to WAIT! XD All I'm saying is this series is going to hit another funny phase.

-Looks at clock- Holy bologna, it's four in the morning... Another reason why I don't update is because I only write at this time of the morning! Yep, the earliest I get prime typing time is at ten pm. I think it has something to do with lack of sleep... ... And I'm still talking...

Thanks for reading! Review, please!

-AD


	4. Thawing

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I keep telling myself 'I'll have time tonight for writing', and I never do, so I set aside all my plans for a few days and just wrote. I feel bad not updating very frequently, for multiple reasons, and I'm sorry for making all of you wait so long between updates. I highly appreciate your patience, thank you.

Enjoy the chapter!

**P.S.** Yes, this chapter has been added twice. Sorry about that.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Thawing**

Once Kagome had returned, it took Sango all of five minutes to 'persuade' her to share a soak at the hot spring, and once there she was further 'encouraged' to spill the big **it** all over Sango's deprived pallet of curiosity.

"His _mate_?" Sango inquired incredulously, completely bewildered as she sat with her arms over the smooth, bumpy rock lip of their little covered spring.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Kagome asked, tucking a strand of conditioned hair behind an ear and sounding confident despite a deep blush and wiggling toes. Still, it was nice to be able to disclose the whole story to Sango, and doing so even perked her spirits and made her feel a little foxy about the whole situation. Though, that part was probably a defensive emotion, since Sango had remained fairly silent. Kagome didn't like to be left wondering what her friend was thinking, and until then she supposed her subconscious would be happy to provide a mood, frisky or not.

"Indeed," Sango replied, still somewhat wide-eyed and motionless. Kagome tucked that hair back again, more out of the need to move than to doubly secure the immobile strand. There was a brief hum of humor, and looking up she saw Sango's mouth quirked with suppressed giggles. Kagome's spirits skipped. "Did you think he was _honest_ at first?"

Giving a delicate snort, Kagome rolled her eyes and felt her heart slow from an unnoticed race. "_No_. I was a little twitter-pated," seeing as he admitted it in front of all of his direct subjects, which had shocked her to no limits and still did, "but the whole idea rang a weird bell. In fact, it still does. A little. I don't know."

Sango nodded in the duration of a brief silence. "I can imagine. And this was after seeing that bitch in his bed?"

Kagome felt a flash of anger and sadness from that, then shoved it in the corner for later release and unclenched her fists. "Yeah. Of all the fine timing. He's really good at being completely off schedule when it comes to fabulous encounters.."

Sango giggled. "He's a male, when you get right down to it. They're a pain in those sorts of ways." They chuckled at the annoying truth. "So, no 'good encounters' yet?"

Kagome reached a core temperature of a hundred and eight, and it almost left her brain-dead. "Um, well- I wouldn't say exactly that."

Sango covered her mouth. Why she bothered was a mystery, because she laughed so hard that her hand didn't even muffle it. Kagome, though a tad embarrassed, giggled along. It was refreshing to laugh about one's own experiences. She felt more mature for it, for some reason, and it slaughtered the heavy atmosphere.

"Wow... It's so hard to imagine _him_ ever being intimate," Sango stated, her face turning a slight shade. She was probably imagining the whole horizon on fire and a few fully armed human regiments on their knees begging for Sesshomaru's forgiveness, or at the very least for his lack of interest in them. Either way, they were probably as good as dead. Hell, Kagome could even imagine the younger Sesshomaru killing people over something as stupid as getting a boat, not that she'd assume as much. Why would he take a boat if he could fly, anyway?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, turning back to the one of him being intimate. "Oh my gosh, you have _no_ idea," Kagome enforced, cradling her brow with her fingertips. "The first time he smiled at me, I thought for a second that he had it in his mind to kill me. And he probably had good reason to at the time... Then I began watching his eyes, and I saw that it was _that_ kind of a smile, and I wanted to just kill _myself_ and get the humiliation of even thinking he thought that over with!"

Sango smirked, chest quivering under the water from silent laughter. "I'm sorry, but, what did you say?"

"I have no idea," Kagome admitted with a small smile. "Sometimes not even I can follow along with everything I say."

"No, no," Sango interrupted the changing conversation, waving her hand as though to slice the last few sentences from the air. "I mean, he _smiles_??"

Kagome shivered and spoke up to the ceiling as though to thank her lucky stars while she was at it. "It is the _most _unexpectedly gorgeous thing on this **planet**..."

Sango laughed heartily.

"No. I'm serious," Kagome defended, wiping her face with the hot water of the spring just to make sure she wasn't salivating. "Oh, but he's cruel with it. And he's _such_ a quick learner, too. All I had to do back then was glance at him and he'd give off the perfect body language and expression to completely sweep me off my feet and leave me flustered over my own intimate thoughts. I hated him for doing that all the time, because he was playing with my self control and having fun with it! But, now it seems kinda funny."

"That's because it is," Sango giggled, a sparkle of mischief entering her eyes. "So, how 'intimate' _have_ you gotten with your regal assassin puppy?"

Kagome waited to see if her heart had stopped before splashing her friend playfully. "Sango!"

"What? It's a safe question, isn't it?" she asked with an all too humored smile, holding up her hands to block half the spray. When she heard that only tops came off she was impressed, and Kagome wanted to know why that was so special. "I don't know about your time, but in this age a man takes more than what's offered."

This left Kagome staring. "... Huh?" A flush covered her all the way down to her neck then. "Um... Miroku didn't-?"

"Kami! No!" Sango yelled, the water sloshing as she jerked. "He tried, yes, but I must admit he had more than one thing coming whenever things were going too far for comfort."

Kagome was smiling so hard now that she felt like tears would be forced out by her strongly lifted cheeks. "I guess that's what I get for attracting a lord?" After all, not every yōkai lord wants his first child to be an illegitimate hanyō born from a miko...

Sango gave a solitary, sarcastic laugh. "Those spoiled brats? Trust me, you usually 'get' something else. I have Miroku follow me into every self-important lord's home just so that I don't have to be offered sex as fitting payment for my labors. Plus he's good a pinching their pockets."

Kagome gawked. Why those filthy, pompous, self important... "That's horrible!"

"Tell me about it," Sango replied, picking up the phrase Kagome had used while they were still a traveling group. She mopped a moist cord of hair back over her head, and reminded Kagome that she still had conditioner in her own. After a quick dunk-and-scrub, Sango continued. "So that says another thing for Sesshomaru. He must really believe you'll be his mate some day if he showed any form of restraint."

Kagome was a little irked, wringing her rinsed hair as best she could and keeping it out of the water. It almost sounded like Sango was taking Sesshomaru's side, but that assumption was just immaturity banging on the back door. Then again, if Sesshomaru _hadn't _shown restraint.... She imagined it, and blushed all the harder.

"What?" Sango asked with chimes when Kagome slapped her face down into her hands.

"I was just wondering where else he might- ... u-hm... have stripes..."

After the uproar Sango started a betting game on where they could be, and although Kagome had the advantage of seeing Sesshomaru half naked, Sango also had the advantage of knowing certain species traits such as marking locations. Apparently, such knowledge was useful for identifying them, and though that seemed like an unfair advantage it also wasn't every day an inugami daiyōkai dropped dead for a slayer's examination, either. So ultimately it was anyone's guess. Of course, Kagome was now liable as a friend to inform the slayer village of anything useful so long as it wasn't too embarrassing.

As the night dragged on in the village, it grew apparent that Sango wanted to know everything, and that was splendid, because Kagome wanted to blather, so they were the perfect conversation couple. The evening was passing blissfully. Miroku said he didn't mind sleeping with the children alone that night if Sango wished to be in Kagome's room. They giggled and whispered and screeched with delight until the wee hours of the morning, and the years between them just seemed to melt away to leave Kagome feeling not only younger but also bedraggled by sunrise.

"Darn it," she hissed at her little hand mirror, trying to tame her hair. She had brushed the mass out once when it was still damp, and it had dried as she and Sango chattered. Hours later, trying to brush it into submission only made it all the more poofy, so she eventually gave up before she turned into a hideous poodle.

"You look fine," Sango tried to reassure, her hair also a tad kinked.

_Fine isn't good enough_, Kagome thought to herself, ready to break that useless brush in half. She tucked it away before she did something regrettable, and glanced at the metallic glint of some makeup. It was a ridiculous thing to admit, but she was half tempted to dig for some gloss and eyeshadow. She wouldn't do anything major, just tint her face a little to see how Sesshomaru would react to some future fashion after years of being back in his own time. Just a little. It wasn't like she would dip her face in a jar of baby powder, paint her eyes and lips and call herself a geisha. Just accent.

Despite her itching desire to feel pretty, Kagome had a feeling he wouldn't be too receptive towards it, which was in complete contradiction to how she was raised. Then again, Sesshomaru _did _have the great potential to be completely backwards. Who knew, to him she might look her best after a fresh roll in the mud. A bit of the wild side. She highly doubted it, but she'd see. After all, this was experiment time, right? She wasn't going to even consider being his mate until she was absolutely, horrifyingly sure she could tolerate him for the rest of her days, and despite the fact that she would be a very happy girl after tackling him in any relatively comfortable place he still had a lot of torn up ground to cover between them.

Better start soon.

* * *

"Don't say it," a scruffy Kagome warned Sesshomaru sternly, walking out of the village to greet him. Rin was running almost recklessly over the ice to say hello, "I know, I didn't 'groom' myself very well."

He enjoyed the sarcastic note she put on that word. And she indeed did not. It was actually nice to know that Kagome didn't mind walking into the light of day looking like she just rolled out of bed, so long as she didn't make a fond habit of doing so. He'd have preferred if she expressed her interest in him by fixing herself up, but as things stood he was in no position to make such requests. It wasn't that he felt he should restrain from asking, it was simply the fact that Kagome had the potential to be hard headed to the point of doing the opposite of what he'd ask. Besides, he could sense that she was still holding a few big things against him. On the other hand, Sesshomaru found her sudden fussing over her appearance to be quite charming, with how she went defensive first thing in the morning. As far as he presumed, she never had done much with herself to a great degree before, and would allow the bath maids to have their fashionable way with her if she felt a need to look better. He was perfectly fine with that, too, because he enjoyed seeing her dressed up and blushing wildly at him before shuffling off with all those embroidered layers on.

He swore, the only real reason any female wore layers was so that some lucky male could enjoy removing them, decorating the room in colorful splashes of shimmering silk and casting her scent all over the place to get an aroma fix.

Sesshomaru reined in a smirk he hadn't noticed was there, and lo and behold there was a certain eager child standing so close that her neck would surely break at the angle required to look up at him. Apparently she believed she could be revived a third time, which could not happen. The happy little death wish was running on her last chance, and she was very fortunate for a human to have had three so far.

"Hello, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin chirped happily. "How are you?"

His eyes flickered to Kagome for an instant, then back down at Rin. Sesshomaru's instincts insisted that he ignore the girl and go for the more mature, pined for variation or feminine delight, but he had a feeling that Kagome would shun him like the plague if he did that to 'the poor and cute little dear'.

"I am fine," he offered the proverbial response, keeping his thoughts all to himself. "And you?"

"I learned how to make snowmen!" she spontaneously exclaimed. "I'd show you, but Ah-Un tried to get a piggy-back ride from one of them and it broke."

The temperature of the air rose as though the sun was suddenly favoring a certain spot, and glancing up he noticed that Kagome was red and trying not to laugh. The sight of her made him smile, and upon seeing it she glanced away from him and put a hand to her flaming cheek, giggling and then covering her mouth.

"Oh!" Rin piped, looking between them. "Are you friends now?"

Kagome went from trying not to laugh to just blushing, retaining her shade and crossing her arms stubbornly under her breasts, lips twitching and eyes darting. Sesshomaru loved it when she blushed. It heated her skin and made her scent run thick through the air.

Rin never got her answer, but could make an educated guess that left her giggling and touching her face in a show of 'I've got a secret'.

For the next two weeks, every other day, Sesshomaru and Kagome met some distance from the village. Rin was there to -as Kagome put it- suck up the attention that she has been unjustly deprived of for two months. Sesshomaru saw no point to that, and would have had none of it, save for the unexpected benefits. The first one was that neither of them had the lack of grace to lose their temper in front of a child, and the second being that Kagome seemed to enjoy Rin's presence. Even though this required Sesshomaru to acknowledge and, with a little elbowing from the miko, compliment a wide variety of snow sculptures, he reveled in the way Kagome tended to Rin in any manner a mother or a fond caretaker would. Seeing such helped to assure him that Kagome was the woman he wished would eventually bear him children as well as stay at his side. So despite the oddly supervised visits which came _after_ quite a bit of physical play, Sesshomaru enjoyed the time he had with his intended, and each day she was opening more and more to him.

There was another interesting change slowly showing in Kagome. As they conversed in the background of Rin's stomped flat play arena, Sesshomaru witnessed a gradual transformation in his love interest's manner of speaking. Usually, her tone was aimed at being condescending while her body language screamed something else at him, and it had all been rather confusing. With Rin around, she spoke more gently and even extended her vocabulary so that they could discuss 'adult stuff' without Rin becoming involved beyond the level of curiosity. Sesshomaru learned that 'adult stuff' referred to certain conversation topics, such as harems, mating, flirting, breeding, and all sorts of other fun things children began asking about at the age of seven. Sesshomaru never questioned outright what the term meant, but it became apparent with Kagome's excessive reply to Rin "it's nothing, sweetie, just adult stuff". It was fun to broaden their conversation topics and add to the censored list through experimentation.

Fifteenth days after they balanced out their differences, Sesshomaru saw Kagome walk out of the slayer village alone. Her arms were crossed, and he couldn't decipher whether she was on her guard around him or if she had something on her mind.

"Rin's a little sick," she informed while still approaching, her wrists showing as the sleeves of her white miko haori were bunched towards her elbows. She was wearing the traditional red hakama though, and Sesshomaru noted through the lack of wear and tear that she was in newer garbs. It was good to see. She had refused that he bring her more clothes to compensate for the weather, since her very attractive jeans didn't block the cold much, but she had flat out refused that he do such a thing.

He frowned when his thoughts looped back onto her words. "Sick?" He didn't smell anything coming from the village, nor off of her yesterday. When it came to illness, there was typically a day's warning in one's scent, if not more. Maybe her head was hurting again, like the infrequent aches she had whimpered over while traveling with him a long time ago.

Kagome nodded. "Well, not sick-sick, just a little under the weather." Sesshomaru freely offered a confused look. Was every living being not always under the weather? Kagome perked her attentions, momentarily curious before she made a connection. "Oh! Um, you know, congested, stuffy, tired looking, that sort. I told her to stay in bed today, and told the twins to leave her alone. She also has a hibachi to keep her room hot, so hopefully that'll make her groggy enough to stay under the covers and sweat it out. Sango's also going to keep an eye on her."

After a moment he accepted this with a nod. Sesshomaru had never been sick before, so he trusted Kagome's judgment on the matter and decided not to worry. Humans got ill. That was almost a required experience in their lives.

She randomly giggled and looked up at him, her fingers toying with one another unconsciously. He found her show of uncertainty to be adorable. "Well. This is our first time alone in a while."

Her scent laced itself with a twist of desire. Heavy, with a twang of uncertainty that screamed for rectification. Sesshomaru forced himself to ignore the delicious spiciness as she teased her lower lip and went to worrying the hem of a helpless left sleeve, looking up at him from under her lashes almost innocently, otherwise he'd probably be licking her to see if her actual flavor had also changed with the thoughts running through her mind. It was frustrating to have to remind himself that Kagome had an indecisive head atop a fairly decisive body. No matter how much his instincts yelled at him to curl her into his arms and let her know the world didn't have to be so confusing, he knew they were still a long way from that stage. How aggravating. She was never a simple woman though, and he liked that. Minus the lack of physical attention...

"It is," he affirmed, looking away from her neck, which she was now touching with her indecisive hands, to meet her searching eyes. For some reason she never liked him paying attention to any other lovely feature she had other than her cerulean gaze. It was difficult to keep visual contact when she allowed that particular scent to overwhelm the atmosphere like it currently did. It made his fingers twitch, and if he had any less control then she would definitely be pinned someplace of very close proximity. The snow would have been fine.

She hummed, and in a quick move she held her hands together behind her back to make her breasts quite prominent. He couldn't stand it, and looked at the sky instead, wondering if he could learn to weaken his sense of smell without every other prudent sensory component shutting down along with it. It seemed innocent enough, but he would not render himself helpless simply to avoid some mild discomfort. Not even in old territory could he take that chance.

"Fine, don't look at me," she scoffed playfully and crossed her arms.

His chest rose and fell with a silent sigh, the clouds looking quite sparse today. This was horrible for his patience. "If you insist."

She gave a defiant sniff and looked away from him as well, creating a one second lack in her guard. He took the opportunity almost greedily, looking her over with both a critical and an appreciative eye. She was in perfect health today, both physical and emotional, and was beautiful no matter the angle in which she held her nose up at him. Sesshomaru enjoyed reading her body language as she pretended to be offended. As a casual way of holding herself, she always showed strength, confidence, and the qualities of a loner. He valued this, and would take her quick temper and sarcasm as fair exchange.

She had not always been that way though. She had hidden behind Inuyasha a lot when she was younger, letting him feed her the submissiveness which didn't belong in her. He would yell at her, insult her, never look happy or be happy, and protect her obsessively and excessively. The mutt deserved his sits, and then some, for subconsciously trying to suppress her into a weak and simpering female to compensate for his being an outcast in both societies which he still skirted by blood right. She hadn't deserved that, and would have broken to him in time, turning into some shadow of a woman who would cling to the false sense of security Inuyasha forced upon her. She might have even mated him, which was a thought Sesshomaru immediately abolished. If Inuyasha even tried it now, Sesshomaru would kill him, revive him, and then beat him half to death.

Sesshomaru's eyes tightened slightly at the last thought as he stared at Kagome, but relaxed when she shifted her feet. She wasn't going to fall into that ancient psychological trap, because she was Sesshomaru's, whether she was ready to admit it or not. She teased him, entertained him, kept him company, and secretly sought all of that in return along with much, much more. She wanted him, and he wanted her, but for now he was resigned to admire from afar until she wanted to go further. No matter how good she smelled, she'd make him wait.

"Is spring coming?" she randomly asked, the question being a courtesy warning that she would be looking back at him.

It was hard to mentally fan away the slight fog in his head before replying. "It is."

She frowned at him, which completely grabbed his attention. "That's the second time you've given me that answer. What's on your mind?"

She was giving him an inquiring look, and a smile tugged at his lips. Did she really want that answer? Spring _was_ coming, after all.

She blushed, and he was content.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?" he asked, hearing the hint of a tease in his voice. She drew good moods out of him without even trying.

She rolled her eyes and failed to suppress a smirk, receiving the satisfaction of instilling him with happiness. "You know what I'm talking about."

He rolled his shoulders, glancing a little to the side. "I have no qualms with expressing some merriment."

"Oh, yeah. Merriment my ass," she grumbled under her breath.

With Kagome feeling they had nothing better to do, they found themselves sparing near the village. She seemed to be amused when several children showed up. To watch, they had to exit the front gate and walk a good two hundred feet to the side of the village for the small field and peer past the trees. How they had heard the clash of steel, gotten so far, and not have been noticed by their parents was a bit of a mystery. Even Inuyasha had the decency to leave them alone. Unless, of course, he was gone. In fact, he probably was, since the hanyō's and the monk's scents were weaker that day.

Sesshomaru didn't fancy the company, but children were children and there was nothing he could do about that. The parents eventually discovered the haunting silence left in the village and came after their young, and as the slayers began to gather to see how Sesshomaru wielded a sword he stopped and sheathed it.

"Not willing to put on a show?" Kagome teased, looking odd for the halted attack as it stole a good portion of her balance. Brushing her damp hair back with her fingers and panting, she slid her own curious blade into its scabbard with a practiced motion. She needed something lighter.

Sesshomaru spared a glare to the audience, and although the adults puffed their chests defiantly they were soon deflated when the children went screaming past their knees to flee and get lost. They trailed behind, shouting.

Kagome snorted none too prettily, chewing on some snow for water as her fingers raked her hair back to re-tie it in an weird stretchy string which merged with itself to create a hoop. "That was creative."

He offered a small smile in response, and thusly Sesshomaru learned the barbaric delight behind a snowball fight. Really, it was not fair that she was at liberty to express any emotion which fancied a stroll through her thoughts, yet he had to keep a straight face or else risk disturbing her. Not that he was complaining. It was awful nice of her to tumble willingly, mouth first, into situations only he could handle with certain measures of grace.

"Ow!" she cried again, having failed to dodge yet another clump of snow. The weather really was warming, which made it easy to pack the little balls. "I said to stop targeting my ass!"

"It is difficult to miss," he quipped, stepping fully behind a tree just in time to avoid a quick miko-charged attack right for the face.

"Oooh!" she seethed, smiling nonetheless. He knew her facial expression only for the strain in her voice. "If you weren't so damn agile I'd stuff your pants with snow, you cocky-" She faltered and almost fell when Sesshomaru appeared mid-threat not more than a foot in front of her. He set his freshly made snowball in perfect balance on top of her head and was gone before she blinked. After a heartbeat she grabbed it and threw it to the ground to stomp it into the rest of its kind, her annoyance letting her energy become hyper. "SESSHY!!" She did not like to be impressed, which was too bad because he was going to do it anyway. Anything else would be unnatural.

He had been standing not ten feet behind her, and couldn't help but to chuckle. He was caught off guard by getting hit in the shoulder without even being looked at. Kagome gathered up and shot a barrage of snowballs at him while using only her energy, trying to plaster him into the tree. He darted to the side without being touched again, and- And wound up on his back.

"Got you!" she yelled from his chest, her powers subsidizing before smacking a snowball right down into his face. "HAH!"

He wiped it away in a controlled motion. It hadn't been packed in as tightly as it could have been. She was being too nice, which was no fun when seen in a certain light. "You win."

She lifted her fists straight into the air, still straddling him, and began to emit an immature and triumphant cry, forgetting a very important fact. She was trying to claim victory over an alpha male who's current goal in life was to impress and woo her.

Kagome's utterance was cut short when Sesshomaru unceremoniously -and easily- pushed her off him. She landed on her side, rolled to her back, and found his face right above hers.

She froze, and he smiled just to make her heart race.

"Are you a sore loser?" she asked testily, doing a decent job of keeping her voice level while her throat jumped and hitched with irregular breath and a quickening heartbeat.

He cut off his growl when he realized he was making it. It hadn't been a threatening one. "That all depends on the prize." It took a **lot** of will power to get off of her, and the look of disappointment which crossed her face both delighted and confounded him. She'd been feeling let down of late when their obvious flirting would lead to nothing.

Offering her a hand up, she accepted it and stepped into his personal space and remaining there.

"I don't like a poor sport," she said confidently up to him, expressing her lovely stubborn streak.

"Sport?" he asked, barely lifting an eyebrow and watching as her eyes unfocused for an instant. "To which little sport of ours do you refer?"

She frowned, trying to put his subject fractured sentence together. Realization dawned on her, and shock passed quickly. "... Both?"

He kept his face straight. "Now, now. Which of us has a problem with expressing merriment?"

She blushed wildly up at him and refused to look away. He was enjoying this more and more. "You..." Her mouth twitched with the need to grin as the sentence trailed off. She shook her head, looked away, and sighed as her scent spiked his instincts again. "You're impossible."

He needed to touch her. Kagome was in a good mood, so he felt safe with the simple gesture of brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek to behind her ear. He heard her breath catch again, the sound caressing and soft against his ears, and her face leaned fractionally to his touch.

He took his hand away before she could subconsciously ask him for more, his fingers warm where they had made contact. Kami, but she was temptation in the flesh.

She gave him an inquiring glance.

He lifted and dropped his shoulders.

She frowned.

He smirked.

She bit her lip and poked him with irritation.

He didn't reply.

She pushed him slightly.

His teeth showed in a small grin, wondering what she was getting at.

Frustrated, she scaled the social wall between them by tackled him for the second time that day to the ground.

Sesshomaru thought two things. One, that she was getting a lot better at this, and two, that he was going to get snow in his face again.

Grabbing his shoulders, Kagome pulled herself mercilessly up his front, the motion nearly making him shiver with a wave of sensation, and she pressed her delicious lips demandingly to his.

"Dammit, Sesshomaru!" she yelled in his face after pulling back, leaving him to blink and think over the last second. Did he imagine it? If so then he was becoming pathetic. And why was she yelling, he hadn't even touched her yet. His hands up to do so though, waiting. Women were overwhelmingly confounding creatures. She smacked his left shoulder with her hand, her scent sweetening the air on top of everything else and driving him up the wall of his restraint. "Will you go ahead and make some of these decisions for me!"

He stared, taken aback. Her lip popped back out of her mouth, red after being crushed between her little teeth, and her fingers flexed in patterns where they lay on his shoulders.

... Well, sure, if she insisted.

She moaned against his mouth when his left hand embraced the back of her head and slowly drew her down to him, her body relaxing over his and giving him her weight. His fingertips ducked through her hair and slid down, stroking the side of her neck as his right palm moved up from the dip above her buttocks to between her shoulder blades, holding her tightly to himself. He relished in the feel of her body as she shifted anxiously over him.

"This is a mistake," she groaned between kisses. "I'm still mad at you."

"M-hm," he offered halfheartedly, not really paying attention. Her left hand tucked past the collars of his haori to feel his rapidly heating skin as her right stroked his face in fond reunion.

"Mm... Damn you," she whispered, breaking away to look at him. Everything was brighter and she was staring at his eyes in a manner of fascination. "Oh, kami, why me?" A longing sigh escaped her and she fell to him again, her breath hissing through her nose as her mouth bore hungrily down on him, arms around his neck in a show of temporary abandonment.

"Because I chose you," he replied honestly, admitting that his voice was a tad rasped with desire. His hand stroked the arc of her back and down to her bottom, grabbing it softly and making her groan and grind against him in an pleased squirm.

"Bastard," she muttered, and her attention went from his chest down to his side in a long and savoring rub, the pressure of her touch making individual muscles spasm briefly with anticipation. "You should have asked first." His blood began to thin, flowing faster and easing him into a blessed, heady daze. He loved it, and wished it were a warmer day so that a few layers of clothing could be removed. "You had no right to do this without my permission."

"Are you disappointed with the results?"

With nails digging lovingly into him, Kagome hummed and moaned for attention, shifting restlessly as she teased his body into a frenzy of need. Pheromones laced thickly through her scent, heavy with her body heat and strong with primal drive. He could almost taste them, breathing deeply to let them have their way with his senses. Her touch tickled from his cheek down to his neck, playing with both his skin and his hair. A groan escaped him, dragging behind it a low and satisfied growl from the depths of his chest.

"On the contrary," she kissed him again, "I think I'm the luckiest girl in feudal Japan." She grabbed the sides of his face and angled her mouth, strengthening and deepening their contact, and her tongue teased against his teeth, stroking his fangs and shifting and calling with guttural noises to the point that she was barely human anymore.

He loved it, her actions pulling him to her like he were on a leash. He welcomed it, almost purring.

Kagome broke their intimacy with a sudden and very misplaced giggle, feeling the vibrations of his utterances, and with his eager encouragement they continued. At a milder pace. They didn't stop until she remembered that he was laying in snow, a treacherous gust having sent some flakes against her cheek and shocking her out of their lustful trance. It frustrated him to have to stop, and she gave him a somewhat apologetic grin before pecking his lips again and levering to get off.

He felt cold without her. Damn the person who said that all good things must come to an end.

"Wow..."

Both of them gave a start, and Sesshomaru glared up a nearby tree, Kagome following his gaze. He could hear her heart stop when their sights lighted on Shippo.

"So it IS true!" the little fox exclaimed, his excitement frosted with lingering shock as he shot from his bottom to a standing position on a fairly high branch, pointing at them. He left while laughing gleefully, and Sesshomaru gave a humored hum when Kagome flopped into his chest with embarrassment, nonverbally asking him to pet her hair reassuringly. He was impressed that he hadn't sensed the young fox kit, and made a note to not get so enthralled in an uncertain location again.

Heh. Yeah, right.

Although their session had been short, it did coax Kagome out of emotional confinement. They quickly spent less and less time in front of Rin, who giggled when their hands touched let alone when Sesshomaru briefly nuzzled his cheek to Kagome's or stole a quick kiss when Rin was supposed to not be looking, and more and more time was carved out of visits for the two of them to be alone. The catch was that the more relaxed and carefree Kagome became around Sesshomaru, warming up to the level of intimacy they used to know, the more annoying Inuyasha was. About three days after their little intimate tussle -and two days, twenty three hours and fifty minutes after the whole village was informed of what Shippo had witnessed- Kagome got so frustrated with the hanyō that she sat him and asked oh so sweetly that Sesshomaru take them quickly to some more private place. He had been exceedingly happy to oblige, and she was specific that she wanted a nice warm building with no one around.

Shrines could be wonderful places...

A few days after that, seeing as the snow was melting substantially now in the last week's heatwave, Sesshomaru asked if she would mind doing something unique. Such as go to visit Edo. He hadn't asked the like before over feeling that she was more secure the closer she was to the slayer village, but Kagome hadn't hesitated a moment in comfortably seizing his arm in reply to the question. It was her official sign of being ready to be lifted into the air, and after a few necessary trips away from a sore hanyō it was just easier to have a signal rather than involve a variety of phrases for every occasion.

"So," she began, leaning against his shoulder and not worrying about being on a 'cloud'. His arm was freed, and it went behind her back to rest on her hiding hip, "anything special planned?"

"You might say that," he replied, gently pulling her closer and almost into his lap.

"Really?" she asked, looking up at him with delight.

He smiled softly down at her, making her squirm and snuggle into him a little more. In all actuality, he had no idea how she would react to the specially planned thing, but he had been meaning to get it done for a long time. The snow levels were lower in Edo anyway, making it easier.

"The shrine grounds?" she asked, still trying to figure out what the surprise was since she hadn't gotten an answer. He waited for her to notice, the change obvious to him since he knew. It wasn't until they were ten feet above the earth and descending that her jaw dropped in shock. "Oh...!"

Her feet alighted, and her little hands went over her mouth as she stared at the Goshinboku tree, towering dark and leafless in the square plod of earth which had been moved with it. It had required much planning, and the first vertical stakes of a short wooden fence to frame the border of the foreign ground were in place.

The scent of tears reached him, and glancing down he met gazes with Kagome.

"Oh..." she said more softly this time, looking between Sesshomaru and the tree. She hugged him tightly before walking over to examine the tree in its new location. "Oh, I can't believe it!" she exclaimed with more awe than volume, reaching up into the tree's scar. "Sesshomaru, it's even in the right angle!"

His mouth eased into a small and satisfied smile. She liked it. "There is one problem, which does not seem too problematic. Because of the used tactics, I have been told that the tree will change its nature." She looked at him inquisitively, seeking an example. Sesshomaru shrugged to that, but offered his best. "It may grow its leaves later in the season, shed bark, or something else. Time will tell."

"It blooms rarely," she said with a smile, holding her arms by the elbows and looking up at the spreading branches. "How was it moved?"

_'With much difficulty,'_ he thought, looking up at it with her, watching it give a pulse. He supposed that the plant was resonating with its energy as a means of associating itself with the new place and identifying the well as a part of itself, which reminded him of something. "It was Shifted. It is a very rare practice, though Sheng was more than happy to do most of the preparation." The man had nearly taken over the whole project. "To put it simply, it traded places with the earth which once lay there in an instant."

Kagome blinked at Sesshomaru. "Magic?"

He shrugged, and walking over he slipped her left hand into his. "Sure. Would you like to come and see if the Well is working again?"

She looked ready to leap away and madly off into the shrine, but with a resigned hum and a tightened grip she walked with him, grinning joyously. He loved it when she was happy.

"It's working," she confirmed as she stared down into the well's depths. He could never looked at the bottom without recalling first waking up down there and perceiving Kagome as a wrong-time-wrong-place enemy.

Her hand quivered a moment in his, and Sesshomaru gave it a squeeze before letting her go. "Would you like to go home for a while?"

She giggled. "I think I'd better. I promised Soto that I'd watch him graduate after all. And it's been so long since I've been back. Months. Where does the time go..."

It wasn't a question, so he didn't answer. Sesshomaru gave her a reassuring nod with his head, and after opening the well's doors she sat on the lip and turned so her legs would hang down into the energized depths. Staring for a moment, she looked back to find his eyes. "Are you coming?"

He was a tad surprised and hesitant, but considering that Sheng still refused to give Sesshomaru full control over the o-shiro and lands -which was nigh unacceptable- he couldn't see the harm in leaving for a short while.

Kagome gave a high shrill of a giggle when Sesshomaru picked her up in his arms in the manner she called 'bridal style'. She reached up and kissed him fondly, and after their lips parted she rested her left cheek against the slope of his neck, her brow under the edge of his jaw. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

With a smirk he easily jumped over the well's wall and descended into its depths. Their mass was taken from them, energy swirling in a watery current, catching at their clothes and hair. She leaned into him closely, as though she would lift right from his arms, and seemed content. Something literally smelled funny though.

They landed soundlessly, the energy subsiding, and it was dark overhead. It wasn't a roof they were looking at though, unless Kagome's bizarre family recently installed an abyssal depth to it and added stars.

Her grip on him tightened, and he knew that something had gone wrong.

* * *

**A/N: **I leave you now to think about everything that just happened. XD I'll continue writing, no worries, but I'm still taking a while. Sorry! I'll get better about this over Christmas break and summer. I hope I gave you enough to chew on for a while though, at the very least.

Plot solvers, eat your hearts out. I'm not swirling things up too much, but it's fun to leave all of you curious.

I'm glad everyone's sticking with the story, and I hope the chapter was worth the wait.

Reviews, please! ;) I wuv dem. Enough to baby talk.

Thanks for reading!

~AD


	5. Time and Time Again

**A/N:** Chapter five! Wow, it seems like it should be longer... I'm torn between blaming how long it's taking to write and how many splendid reviews there are. XD

So, yes! A chapter within two weeks! Wow. I blame the fact that finals are going to be hitting hard soon, so don't expect any writing for a month from now. :P After that, I may pick up the pace again! No promises though. Also, thanks to many complaints, this chapter is pretty darn long. As in 'over twenty pages' long. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Time and Time Again**

Kagome swore her heart just stopped. There was sky overhead. It was night. The air was clear of city lights and she could see the stars perfectly. Either Tokyo enacted a revert-to-nature act in the time she was gone, or she was lost somewhere in Kansas. And to think those were only her preferred options. She knew she wasn't home though, and she only wanted to be in a time in which the well was covered.

Sesshomaru jumped up.

"NO!!" she shrieked, clinging tightly and curling up into him, burying her face into his shoulder when he landed lightly. If she didn't see it, then it never happened and she wasn't involved. "Go back! Please, go back!"

He was still for an instant, his right hand lifting to resume holding her and taking some weight off his neck. "Is something wrong?"

"Of course something's wrong!" she practically sobbed into the thick silk of his haori, now adding 'while in Sesshomaru's arms' to the thousands of what-if's she created in her spare time for how the well could mess up her life for another round. She was pretty sure that they were in the past. Again. No, not again. She couldn't do this all over again. "I'll explain things later. Just please, **please** go back!"

There was a sudden spike of raw power some distance away, a warning that they should turn around and disappear as quickly as they appeared before something bad happened. It made her own energy simmer under her skin as it sought to escape and prove that she was not a weak and easy target. Kagome felt Sesshomaru stiffen, his grip on her thigh and over her right shoulder blade tightening, and fearing the sensation of his own power coiling against her she poked his neck before he could make a similar reply to the distant stranger. He gave an odd, annoyed grunt, but she was satisfied upon sensing the power seep back into its dormant state.

Even without Sesshomaru finishing what he started, the yōkai was already on their way. Splendid. She even had a good idea of who it was.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome yelled against his clothing, quickly slipping into a schizophrenic fit and holding him tightly. There was only one yōkai who could have that much power, if they were in the past and as far as she knew, and she _rea-a-a-a-ally_ didn't want a formal introduction. "I swear on my _life_ that I'll never, EVER speak to you again if we don't leave back through the well this INSTANT!"

His composure broke, expressed in his loosened grip. "But-"

She smacked the shoulder she wasn't pressing her face into. "SIT BOY!!"

She got a glare for that. She knew she did, and most likely deserved it, but she still refused to look up and confirm it was there. That being was still approaching, having halved the distance in about four seconds, and it made her very spine shiver with fear for not looking around for it. At this rate, she was going to be a main ingredient for something interesting. That, or just dead.

Kagome got her point through though with the crude command, and after a heart wrenching and very welcomed sensation of uplift they were falling back into the well. She counted the seconds. It took one to start falling, the yōkai coming closer, two before the well activated and she felt it no more than a hundred feet away, and then she'd never been happier to be covered in ancient magic, almost missing it when it disappeared and left her in silence.

"Kagome."

She flinched and her head shot up frantically. "We're back, yes??" There was a roof above her head beyond the square opening of the well, and relief snapped her tension as it went crashing down on her. "Oh, thank goodness. Which time are we in?"

"Mine," he replied. "You know who that was, correct?"

He sounded to be on the brink of growling, and if she knew her history, he had a very good reason to. She tried to make herself smaller, knowing she just did a very big no-no by telling Sesshomaru what to do. She had good reason to though, dammit! Though, that may not make her case too clearly if he was indeed mad at her... "Um, maybe?"

Sesshomaru took that sheepish answer as a 'yes', and smoothly leaped out of the well. She didn't want to release him when he set her down on her feet, at which she stared.

"I am going back."

Now she was looking at him. He was _serious_? "No!" she practically barked, a little too quickly. Screw feeling bad over telling him what to do, he was being an idiot!

The hardness was in his eyes again, reminding her of when she had first seen him. Fear splashed her back and disappeared, making her shiver. It's difficult to notice such little changes after knowing someone for so long until they revert. In response to her reaction he blinked, and his eyes softened somewhat.

"Sesshomaru, please, you can't!" she now pleaded.

"I will," he replied, his voice remaining firm but not cold. "There is unfinished business to attend to."

Her heart cracked at hearing that, and she tried to gather the pieces while putting her little speech together, the multitasking making her stammer. His last words confirmed who they almost ran into, and it hurt her to have to speak her mind. Sesshomaru had _very_ good reason to go back. In his shoes, she would already be gone.

"Sesshomaru, I- I really don't want to say this, but please, promise me you will NOT go back through the well. Ever." He was becoming angry with her, and she quickly continued. "I know, I'm WAY out of line to say that, because I'd be feeling the same way if I were in your place, but- but time travel is more risky than it looks, and-!"

She cut off when her own words registered. Great, now he was insulted. She traveled the well like it was the Tokyo tram on a one hundred percent discount, and here she was telling _him_ it was too dangerous. Her mouth flapped, useless with a stunned brain but wanting to work.

"I-"

"Am not making sense," he finished for her, turning for the well. "I am leaving now. This shall not take long."

Kagome panicked. "I might not be here when you get back!" she cried in more ways than one before she even thought the words. Kami, but she was scared. She knew Sesshomaru hated the man, and if he did something different, just one little thing... "Sesshomaru, you can make it so I'm never born!"

He stopped, summoning patience from the air loudly through his nose, openly annoyed. But he had stopped, and that was a good thing. Oh boy, she had something **bad** coming for her as payment for him listening to her threats.

"Listen, I know how tempting it is, and I know how good of reason you have, but please, give me time to explain where I'm coming from before you jump into things." Things such as wells.

Sesshomaru turned to face her with a frown, and she backpedaled a few steps when red eyes met hers.

"He is my father," Sesshomaru said with a quickly hardening and gravelly tone. He probably didn't notice it was changing. Kami, he was as mad as when she had strangled him all that time ago? She flinched horribly when he continued. "Why, pray tell, should I not go and kill him yet?"

She didn't know whether to pity him or feel a little sickened by his intentions. Not wanting to be indecisive she abandoned both ideas and straightened her back, clasping her hands together over her lap to hide their shaking. Sesshomaru could be a very scary man, but she knew he wasn't angry with her. Yes, she just had to keep telling herself that.

"Sesshomaru," she started, swallowing and trying to remember all the scattered pieces of family history she didn't play a part in. "If you kill your father now, then Inuyasha will have not been born, which means that Kikyo would have never fallen in love and died feeling betrayed, taking the Shikon Jewel with her in her spirit and giving it to me in the future, and that means that I would have never gone to your time."

He had yet to be convinced.

"Sesshomaru, we never would have met if that were the case." She wanted to fiddle with her fingers, or tuck back her hair, or scream profanities until the moon was full, but she stayed still and didn't dare drop scary eye contact with him. "I'm too happy knowing you to let you go through there hot headed and slaughter-" oh, kami, was she going to say that? She didn't want him to kill his father, and she didn't want his doing so to kill their growing relationship. "-everything."

She flushed slightly, of all the brilliant timing to do so, and waited. It seemed like her heart was waiting for something to happen as well. Why, oh why, did he have to be stubborn on all the very important things? He was as bad as Inuyasha right now, for crying out loud.

Finally the red leaked from Sesshomaru's eyes, retreating, and he blinked as her lips lounged into a relieved smile. He rubbed his forehead with irritation, a rare sight in and of itself, and gave a vexed sigh. "Say that a few more times, and it may make sense."

Things didn't click together in Kagome's head, and so of course time jerked to an abrupt and rude stop. "... What?" she asked. It really wasn't that hard to grasp, was it? You fiddle with the past and you end up fiddling with the future. Then again, that was putting it in future theory to someone from the past. "Oh. You haven't thought about those time- Time fluxy... thingies." Her finger touched her mouth and her head tilted down to the side. "What are those called again?"

She stiffened when he took a seat on the lip of the well. Rather than join him, she stared at the dirt, and suddenly it was picture time.

"Okay," she breathed some strained minutes later, her right index finger plagued with grit in all the wrong places as she stared down at her work of art in the ground. Depicting time interruptions, consequences, possibility paths, and the normal frame from which they branched was a **lot** harder than cartoons gave it credit for.

Sesshomaru understood everything though, thankfully, and then sliced through her logic with the next statement. "In other words, I can do whatever I wish, because whatever will happen has already happened to leave us where we presently are."

Kagome's head was going to split open, and it was all thanks to a stupid well. "Um. Yeah, that's one theory."

Sesshomaru, who had indeed been hunched to put an elbow on a knee and his chin in his palm, now straightened and stretched. His back didn't make a sound. "There is more?"

"Not really," she replied, practically tingling for a good back crack now and resisting. At least he was calm again, and apparently a little more carefree in her presence. "It's just theories. Some people go by what you just said, and others say that everything can happen for a first time and then mess everything else up. Then there's the whole debate on what fate is compared to time travel, and whether things are destined to happen the way they do or if it was just bad luck. If luck exists, that is."

Sesshomaru frowned. "That does not make sense. How can an eternal loop begin in the effects of having already happened?"

... Damn him and his fluency... He was giving her a hard time with her own language, and being verbally simple while he was at it! Instead of answering right away, she scratched her head.

"Has it been proven?"

That got her attention, but she still gave him a muted expression, not too enthralled. "Has _what_ been proven?"

Sesshomaru gestured at the ground, the setting sun now hitting part of her little doodle and highlighting odd grains in a red warmth. It was getting late. "That."

"Oh," she replied. "Um, no. It can't be. No one can time travel."

He gave her a funny look, probably she just completely contradicted herself. "Except for you."

She smirked. "Except for me. And I'm not about to become a scientific guinea pig or insane by blathering about it."

His expression mirrored hers, and then faded away as he stared at Kagome in a contemplative manner.

She shifted, grinding dirt into the knees of her hakama. "What?"

"Are humans so utterly bored in the future that they study concepts which never apply to their lives?"

She stared back, trying not to laugh and doing a great job of it. "Yes. Yes they do."

The moment hung, utterly silent. She was trying to not blink as well, but cracked, giggled, snorted, and laughed even harder at herself. Sesshomaru just smirked, as usual, and she hurriedly gathered herself when he stood. She followed suit.

"I am still going through the well."

... Damn him... She had finally gotten in a good mood, too. "If you do, I will give you an absolutely horrible nickname."

She had caught him off guard with the immature threat, and it showed in the faint pitch of his eyebrows. "You have already done a rather fine job with the 'Sesshy' title."

"Believe me, there are worse," she assured, going down the mental list and highlighting an irresistible one. "Such as Snuggle Bunny. Or better yet, Smexy-Sesshykins. Hell, I'll even call you a poodle."

A wry grin graced his features, and despite the current issue she couldn't help but to think he was a gorgeous creature. To think she's never taken a picture of him. She should sue herself.

"I am sure that if something were to go horrifyingly wrong then my coming back to a lack of nicknames would be a minor relief."

She crossed her arms, not humored. "Really. That's not funny. No matter how much you think so, it's not." Great, he was hellbent _and_ in an augmentative mood. The bad kind that left her feeling manipulated.

"Even if you seal the well, I will go back and I will speak to my father again," he told her, calm and collected. She envied his self control. "Such an opportunity is not one to be ignored, and you know it."

Kagome threw her arms down to her sides, hands fisted. "Darn it, Sesshomaru! You're thick headed enough to keep a freezer icy through the summer, you know that!?"

He shrugged, and she forced her shoulders to loosen. She was being irrational.

"I see no benefit in staying," he stated. "Your resistance stems from an illogical fear, and your lack of trust is insulting."

"Right back at you," she snipped, thinking and not getting very far. "Will you at least wait a week?"

"Why a week?" he asked. She could almost hear him thinking that she was losing her mind.

'_To give me time to sleep it over and hug everyone goodbye,_' she thought. Suddenly some toast popped up, and the very bottoms of her feet tickled with the audacious thought to dance into her head. "So I can sleep on it, and feel better about your seemingly reckless need for action." His lips -those beautiful, delicious lips. Yum.- parted to reply. She was going from attracted to moody and back far too quickly to be good for her. "Though, where I sleep has yet to be decided."

Hah! She got his mouth to hang open for a second! She was half tempted to mirror it, but her own horror at her openness would have to wait until his expression wasn't so funny, so she just tried not to smile.

Kagome felt good when his mouth shut and Sesshomaru cleared his throat in an almost unheard tone. Who'd have thought he was really a male deep down inside? Oh, the possibilities. How exciting.

She was hopeful that her classic female tact would actually work, until it didn't. Sorta.

"I would be through the well and back before you would wake up, regardless of where you sleep."

Why that insolent son of a... "Fine," she gave in, figuring the boulder was going to roll downhill whether she liked it or not. "Do what you want. But only after you drop me off. I'm not about to wait around here for you, I don't even have any money for ramen, and this city is only good for shopping in five hundred."

She felt cold when he remained silent, then burst to flaming life when she guessed at his- Ah-hum... male thoughts, and reacted to them. Kami, did she just offer to sleep over at his place? She did. But no. No, she was being ridiculous. She'd visit, but- But if she stayed the night, she was going back to that room she had used, and- Shit. And then, knowing her, she was going to stay up _all_ night wondering if he'd sneak in like he had the one time she accidentally slapped him in the face. The bastard had deserved it, waking her up before the dawn even broke by stroking her side, of all things. She had enjoyed it. Check that, she had enjoyed _them_. She liked him touching her, _and_ had taken great satisfaction in the slap. Then again, it really would be nice to sleep with his arms around her. Just so long as things didn't go too far. Which they may, she didn't fully trust herself. She trusted him to not become completely and uncontrollably enthralled, but- Oh, it was a sad, sad day when a woman thought she had less sexual restraint than a man... Dammit! She was a virgin, and that knee buckling look in his eyes -which was there, right now- was not going to change that. Nope. No matter how ungodly sexy, tempting, and forbidden it made him look. Strong, too. That was a definite bonus. Strong with determination and a fantastic array of muscles that she could just dig her teeth into. ... Oh, she was hopeless.

Kagome sensed that she was a nice, healthy shade of red now, and apparently sensing her internal turmoil Sesshomaru chuckled and with a blink on her part he back in her focus. Well, at least he was still there. Maybe she should push him through the well just to save face.

"You do realize that your innocence is entertaining," he said more than asked, making her feel affronted. "It is also very attractive when pitted against your obvious desire."

Her heated blood spread from her face and probably sank all the way down to redden her neck, too. He was playing his accursed games again. "I'm sure it is," she replied, unable to think of anything else for a comeback other than to smack him as a means to change the conversation. If he'd only put his hands on her hips, maybe rocked a little, she'd feel happier. Not better, just a hell of a lot happier. Happy enough to let him nibble her ear, which he was growing fond of lately. It was a fun favor to return as well, and it reminded her of how ticklish he was in some places. Who'd have thought that _that_ would be such a turn on. ... Ugh! How _dare_ the room get hotter! And she needed to keep her mind on his desire to kill his dad, not her stupid, stupid spiraling emotions!

At that trickle of annoyance, she abruptly noticed that he was only a foot away and quickly stepped back out of instinct. When had he moved?

She stopped within his arm's reach, which was mostly due to his hands having caught her elbows, and then she was within chest reach and craning her head back to look up at his attentive, warm, take-me-now eyes. Wait, that last adjective was describing her, wasn't it... Kami, he was so good looking. Okay, maybe kissing wasn't a bad idea. No, yes, it was. Wait, what? Dammit, he should just kiss her to spare her from her thoughts. Then everything would be fine and dandy.

"Ah..." she began, forgetting what she was going to say when his warm hand suddenly brushed her cheek, meaning that her left elbow free. "Um, you can go through the well now. I'll be- Be just ducky, here."

A smile bloomed on his face, and she just about had a bodily epiphany. Damn her hormones! "I thought you told me to take you home."

She paled for a moment, thinking about silk sheets and whether or not they existed, then was struck by an idea. Home! That sounded GREAT! Yes! Sesshomaru wouldn't try _anything_ in front of Sota! ... Right?? Who cares, it was worth a shot. "No, no!" she began, spinning out from him and whirling around to regain a visual. "I'll just go visit mom! _My_ mom. Yes, of course my mom, we're not married or anything, why distinguish?" Her laugh sounded forced even to her own ears, but he only looked amused. "Um, so, yeah!" Kami, he was sexy... "You, you go back in time, kill your dad, and I'll see you in my time while I'm hanging out with my mom!"

Round two of toast popped up, and it quickly molded.

Kagome stopped, completely and entirely, and a noisy silence echoed in her head. "But-" The word hit the air and dropped like a dead bird. Something wasn't sounding right. "Wait. ... Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru, where did we go through the well? Just now?"

A vague show of worry shaded Sesshomaru's face when he alighted on the same thought. Kagome waited for him to say something. She didn't make a sound, not wanting to miss his reply. He'd have an answer, right? This misplaced sensation of dread... It _was_ misplaced, because nothing so horrible could... Could it? Oh, no, what had happened?!

The world jerked, and after a blink she found herself sprawled back on the stairs, braced on a sore elbow and feeling a little dizzy. A white blob showed up in her unfocused line of sight, obscuring her view of nothing. Nothing. Yes, nothing. Nothing like this could happen. Not in a million years, no, because- Because there just wasn't a good enough reason to let it happen.

Wind howled faintly through the huge void in her mind, inflating her chest and stirring sensation, and she remembered it was called 'breathing'. Kagome turned her head, couldn't, and felt that her face was being held. Giving a start her sight suddenly sharpened, and the blob had concerned golden eyes.

"Kagome?"

He had such a tender voice, making her vision blur and ripple all over again. She violently bit her lower lip, pain jostling her nerves to try and distract her from her thoughts. She wouldn't cry. Dammit, she **wouldn't**!It all made sense though. Defined, logical, cold and wretched sense.

"Kagome, it was a fluke," Sesshomaru was reassuring her, sounding calm and loud in the quiet yet not really making sense. "It will be fixed. Everything is fine. I will have the tree moved back."

Moved back. Backwards. The well was going backwards, not forwards. Backward like the future, not forward like the past. It was all _backwards_, and so real and fascinating and terrifying and- She was trapped!

She felt fear break something very frail inside her, and there was a horrible sound at the same time that her throat shivered, filling her head with pain and horror and lost, lost, lost. She was trapped, and she was lost, and she was powerless, and this was infinitely **worse** than when the well had simply closed! It wasn't broken now, it was perfect and fine and correct and she was stuck. Forever.

Things stopped moving, which meant she hadn't noticed being in motion in the first place. A very small something that was wound tight in her chest loosened when a gentle and caring strength was folded around her, pulling at her curiosity and slowly sorting out her chaotic thoughts. She was jumbled. Confused. Wired and nigh disembodied with shock. But this was here. This was here, and real, and now, and 'this' was an unyielding protection that wouldn't leave. Or would it?

Numb arms reaching out and fumbling slightly, she latched herself to what she had. It tightened around her, refusing to let her go, and some petrification fled from the confines of her reality, giving room for other emotions and sensations. For thought.

A staggering onslaught of sensations struck her in an instant. She was touching silk, and warmth. Felt the rise and fall pattern of respiration and the dull tapping of a pulse against her own. Heard a hush that was sympathizing and yet understanding, and saw shimmering fur wink in the gloomy light as it brushed her cheek in the motion of her breath. She smelled the clean and musky scent of Sesshomaru, and tasted her own tears. She was crying? She was getting tears all over his fur.

"Calm down," she heard him, his voice very low and soft, humming in the air. She realized she had a desperate grip on his torso and was seated in his lap, cradled protectively in his arms without a second thought on his part.

She bit her lip again when a small sob broke like a hiccup, and with the short suppression the pressure built and forced tears from her eyes. On her next breath she couldn't hold it, and feeling lonely and at a loss for words and actions she just cried against him until she couldn't anymore, thinking that she'd never see her family again.

* * *

The sun was down behind Mount Fuji when Kagome's sobs began to subside, leaving her worn and tired and drained. She even felt lighter in Sesshomaru's arms, like she had just lost something which served to define her.

The scent of her fear, tears, and hopelessness was thick on the air, smothering even the scent of the earth. It unsettled him immensely. He did not want her to be sad. Ever. He should be able to do something to prevent it, and he felt like he had failed in some way. When he needed to act, when she needed him, he could think of nothing better than to hold her and remain quiet. It grated at him to do nothing else, to feel powerless against the emotion which just finished escaping her, but what could he do? He had never been faced with this before. Consoling someone was not a thing he had been taught, and it most certainly did not come naturally.

She was whimpering brokenly now, curled up against him with her sleeve draped over her face, and he wondered when the unspoken vow of silence would be safe to break.

Lifting his right leg to take the place of his arm, which was a tad difficult while sitting sideways on the steps, he put his hand gingerly on her arm and stroked it reassuringly. It was a peculiar thing to see her so sad and so helpless, so completely vulnerable, when he had seen how strong she could be. This was almost enough to break the laws of nature, and so he continued to pet her, trying to coax her out of this depression. He wanted her to smile, and wanted to hear her laugh again. How to make the transition though was a complete and utter mystery. He didn't know the emotions of women well enough to change them.

A soft series of sobs continued to shake spontaneously from her as her hand shift underneath its sleeve to wipe her eyes before settling again. He could not tolerate this. She needed to get better. Now.

Standing was a slight challenge, but he managed and walked outside with her still in his arms. The sky was still light, but their surroundings were cast in the shadow of the volcano and it made her shiver.

"Sesshomaru?" she asked, her voice rasping like she had just gargled sand.

"Yes?" he asked, surprised that he had whispered. Jumping into the air a little more quickly than she seemed comfortable with he noted that while holding her he could move faster and decided to take advantage of it. He only had to support himself rather than the both of them, and so he flew quickly.

She felt so small when she burrowed closer to his chest, wanting to avoid the cold of the atmosphere. "Where're we going?"

That was an excellent question, and he made up his mind in an instant. He'd sacrifice face and -for the first time in hundreds of years- ask his mother what to do. His jaw clenched at the though, but if it helped in the end then he was fine with it. If not, then he would force himself to be.

"To the o-shiro," he offered, feeling like he should explain himself and drawing a temporary blank. "You will be more at ease there."

Her hold on him tightened, and he felt like a message was not getting through.

The barrier melted around him upon his arrival, allowing him to pass without complication, and to his immense surprise he saw his mother walking hurriedly out to the courtyard to meet him, Sheng not too far behind.

"**What** have you been **doing**?!" she seethed up at Sesshomaru, her glare gradually focusing on Kagome. "Oh, no... No, no, Sesshomaru!"

"I did nothing," he replied honestly, somewhat curious over his lack of anger with her.

His mother waved her hands in a very frantic fashion. "Never mind that! Oh, Sesshomaru, you smell like tears. This is all wrong! _Why_ did you not respond sooner!"

Respond? She had been calling him? Sesshomaru looked at Sheng for an answer, and the man looked a bit unnerved. What had happened?

"Sheng, take her," Sesshomaru's mother ordered, sounding worried.

Sesshomaru stepped back when the man approached, growling while holding his presently frail intended closer.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked when he made the noise and still looking at his mother as though fascinated.

"Kagome, there is a serious matter that Sesshomaru needs to attend to," Sheng told her, giving Sesshomaru an understanding look yet retaining his hardened expression. "Will you come with me to your old quarters? The servants can draw you a bath, and I will make sure nothing happens to you until Sesshomaru returns."

Frowning, Sesshomaru felt like that last part was said more for him than for the woman in his arms. Kagome nodded though, and it was with a feeling of losing her that he let her down. She wiped at her face, which was turned away from Sesshomaru, and Sheng gently touched her elbow and began to walk with her.

It was hard for Sesshomaru to keep himself at bay when his fingers simply twitched to beat the man for touching her.

"Did you not just hear me!" Li Hua demanded, her tone grabbing Sesshomaru's attention. His eyes remained fixed on Kagome though. "I said you have to go change! Your cousin and his mate are here!"

Kagome disappeared, and Sesshomaru regarded his mother, not reading the importance behind this yet. "Which cousin?"

"Your eldest," she grumbled, walking off in the direction of Sesshomaru's quarters. "Come."

The walk was short and full of her ordering the servants, and she closed his room's door behind him with a sharp smack.

"Disrobe," she ordered. "You stink. The servants are already bringing some oil over to cover Kagome's scent."

This was ridiculous, but he set his swords aside and undid the knot of his sash while asking her what his cousin was there for.

"Are you _serious_?!" she demanded, wheeling around from the wall built in with drawers with a folded haori in her hands. She was picking out his clothes? "Sesshomaru, get your thoughts straight and pay attention!" Not liking it, she replaced the fabric in its drawer and pulled open another, then shut it with a snap.

This was more than what he wanted to deal with, but perhaps she had a point. It was not every day that his cousin came, especially with a mate. He had found someone who tolerated him? Then the facts lined up as he let his hakama fall and stepped out of them, the layers of haori going to his mid thighs.

"Keep the last one on," she told him, setting a heavy silk kimono on his bed. "It does not smell of her, and its warmth will make it seem you have been wearing this outfit for a while."

"I know," he replied while shedding the first haori, seeing she had gotten a dark blue kimono decorated in hers and her late mate's insignia. The hexagon belonged to his father, and the center-less camphor flower which rested inside it was from her house. It was customary that the designs of two renown houses be combined like the yōkai being mated. Sesshomaru would keep the hexagon of his father as his own symbol, and by tradition his mate's insignia would fill it. It may very well remain empty.

"Then act like it," she snipped, throwing a thicker sash on the bed in frustration. "Sesshomaru, he has been here for nearly _two_ hours!"

"You worry too much," Sesshomaru insulted her just as the door opened. The servant, likely knowing he was walking in on something too nasty for him to handle, knelt, put a tiny bottle on the floor, scooted back, bowed at the waist, closed the door, and hurried off. Sesshomaru picked the small container up easily by its middle between two fingers and removed the small cap with a sound 'pop'. It had not been used in a while.

"You know he is interested in seizing this land," his mother bickered as Sesshomaru put his finger over the bottle's scentless opening and turned it. The oil was an odor killer, not a masker, and it did its job well. If he put more than six drops on he would smell like nothing. "How can you be so calm about this when you know he has the advantage of kin and mating status?"

Sesshomaru regarded her, smoothing the oil with his fingertip behind his ears then rubbing his hands together before running them through his hair a few times. He waited for his mother to nod, telling him that the smell of Kagome's emotions was covered well enough, and then replied. "He does have those advantages, however, everyone knows he is an irresponsible idiot."

"Intelligence does not always matter," his mother almost growled. She was quite angry, and yanked open a drawer and began ripping out tabi socks to occupy herself. He waited for her to realize that she needed to look for odori, not tabi. And to think she was telling _him_ to gather himself.

"He will be back in China out of shame within two hours," Sesshomaru commented, taking up the still folded kimono and examining it. He knew its sleeves were short, which would reveal his arms from the beginning of the elbow and down. A casual kimono worth its weight in gold, and one which would give off the impression of not needing to impress anyone.

"He is determined to stay," she scoffed, finally tossing a black pair of odori at his feet as he pinched the kimono by the shoulders to let it unfold by itself. The silk was too thick to leave any obvious creases as it tumbled to its full length.

"I am more determined to make him leave," Sesshomaru replied while donning the new garment and folding it left over right. Reaching for the sash, he paused at noting that it matched the kimono. He hated that, and his mother picked up on it.

"No complaints. Wear it or he will think less of you and spread word that you cannot even dress yourself appropriately."

Jaw clenched, Sesshomaru picked it up and tied it in place, wondering how Kagome was fairing. When he sat to put on the odori, he couldn't help but to find it odd that his mother was looking at him in a contemplative manner.

"Pull your hair up," she finally ordered.

Sesshomaru felt his eyes widen. "No."

"Yes."

"I do not have a mate," he retorted bitterly, finishing with the last little buckle at the back of his ankle and standing. "And I will not feign engagement."

"Sesshomaru, Kagome will mate you by spring, if not summer," the intolerable woman waved the matter off. "Now stop your fussing and pull up your hair, least you look like a child."

A child. That was the last thing he wanted to be called. "I will look like one regardless. He is double my age, after all."

"He is one thousand three hundred and ninety seven," she clarified with that annoying and useless accuracy of hers.

He gave a small humph. Sesshomaru was under eight hundred years of age, which made him young to get a mate anyway. Still, politics were politics, and being mated was a status boost, even if it was to a tree.

"Sesshomaru!" she yipped when he walked out and completely ignored the rarely used brush she had just found. He was _not_ pulling up his hair, even if he had known that upon walking into the room in which his cousin and his mate had waited he would be given humored looks.

The warmed receiving room was too big for its purpose, giving ample room to settle things with a sword if need be. It was already well lit in preparation for the sun to fully set, and the long cushion encircled table was prepared with tea. Chinese tea, by the smell of it, and his visitors seemed to be enjoying it while looking him over.

Being the host, it was Sesshomaru's obligation to allow his cousin to initiate conversation, so he sat cross legged at the table separating them by its width rather than its length and waited for their judgment to pass. This gave him ample time to analyze his uninvited guests.

His cousin, eldest son of his uncle and heir to their family's terrain in China, had not changed much. Dressed in a simple and formal Chinese manner and sporting reds and yellows, he now kept a close-cut scraggly beard fixated around his boxy jaw and nothing over his thin upper lip, making him look absolutely ridiculous with his long black hair pulled up tightly. Sesshomaru supposed he had gotten swept up in another culture some time ago -perhaps Russian- and had a feeling that even the natives would have been delighted to see the poor imitation of their fashion before chasing him out of the country. Other than the joke on his cousin's face, the man looked the same since they last saw one another centuries ago. His vivid green eyes were hard yet ignorant, laughing in their sockets in a way that betrayed his lack of discipline with alcohol, and his skin was dark from far too much time meandering the land. Sesshomaru also preferred the outdoors but typically disciplined himself to his duties, which called for much time in scrolls and not chasing taken women through the garden on a sunny day.

How his cousin had found himself a mate with his womanizing history was beyond Sesshomaru. Perhaps she was of low class, or the best candidate from a house that was failing and needed the status boost of marrying into the dominant house of the warring sections of China. He considered as much as his eyes made the shift to her, and soon decided that the latter had a clean ring of accuracy to it. Dressed in black, she sported a dull brown mop of hair tied up and back into a fashion which should have been shackled to the island of England to die off with their presently excessive style. It looked like a natural imitation of a Pharaoh's Hedjet crown and was simply littered with strung pearls (which did not compliment the look at all). Her exceptionally pointed ears, hair, and thin neck were so heavily adorned with precious metals that her smile was dull in comparison, her blunt canines revealing her blood history. She descended at some point in time from a human. Definitely lower class, and her ancestors had been fairly weak blooded to not overwhelm the trait by her generation. Even Inuyasha sported sharper eye teeth than she did.

Sesshomaru came to the conclusion that she married into the family for status and financial benefit. Despite her teeth, her smile was full and filled with a lowly pride, and despite being a mate and therefore his cousin's equal, she sat to his left and slightly back. She was not respected in the relationship, but her selfishness apparently sated the lack of emotional love. Sesshomaru could almost pity her. As soon as she got with pup, his cousin would most likely break their relation and leave her for the next best thing in bed. Gaining and losing mates frequently would not help his image, but he was one to consider himself too high above others to be pulled down by their judgment. He really was an idiot.

Why Sesshomaru's mother had been so worried was beyond him. These two were worth nothing, let alone his time, and it angered him that he was there instead of comforting Kagome.

"Well met, Sesshomaru."

Keeping his face smooth as his cousin inclined his head to him shallowly, his mate doing the bare minimum as well, Sesshomaru pondered over the obvious show of disrespect. He was not given his title, which, despite the pleasant expressions stamped onto their faces, was a grave insult. One he would gladly return.

"Indeed. What brings you to Japan, Kueng? Is Léi Zhuang not feeling well?" Slipping into Mandarin again had an alienated taste to it, but there were no complications. Sheng would spontaneously change the language in meetings just to hear it, though Sesshomaru was fairly certain that retaining his fluency played a part in it. Even yōkai forget things, given time.

Kueng's eyes tightened but still sparkled with an illegitimate mirth. His mate was positively livid, but she could drop dead and Sesshomaru was sure that her mate would not notice, let alone him. Her anger was walled off from them by her lack of backbone and warrant of respect, and that was just fine.

"My father is alive and healthy," Kueng replied, putting a slight emphasis on 'alive' to try and bother Sesshomaru but otherwise sounding politically polite and decent. It had no effect, to say the least. "It was by his recommendation that I pay you a visit, cousin."

In other words, Léi Zhuang had grown tired of his sons presence and decided to banish him for a time in the most convenient way possible. What better to place to put him than on an island to look for a flaw in Sesshomaru's control over his father's death-abdicated title? Perhaps this was not all an effort to wrest Sesshomaru's land and inheritance from him after all, though he would truthfully wish for that to be the case over having to 'babysit' the fool for even the night. Today was not a good day, and all he wanted to do was drop Kueng and his whore on the coast and go to Kagome. It still bothered him that she was not happy when they parted ways, and that most likely meant that she was still not happy and crying and that damn Sheng was probably patting her back.

A combination of weariness and anger slipped from Sesshomaru in a rough sigh before he caught it, and he cursed himself as Kueng's eyebrows inclined slightly and his wench grinned bluntly. They thought they were getting to him; which they were, but not drastically enough to deserve a show of it. "That is good to hear." Really, it was. If Léi Zhuang died, then Kueng would be obligated to drag China's human economy through the dirt. "If you are here on conversational terms, then I will arrange a place for you to rest until a more appropriate time for casual socializing arrives," Sesshomaru informed, stilling his foot when it twitched once with irritation under the opposite knee. He presumed at least a small portion of annoyance stemmed from wearing the kimono. He preferred hakama, for various reasons. Kimono were indeed unisex -until specifically designed-, but sitting cross legged was a little more... Well, it was easy and fine and perfectly decent. It just felt peculiar with how the fabric pressed around his knees.

Surprisingly, Kueng nodded in acceptance, especially after an apparent two hour wait. "Very well. I am liable to state before our parting that you are being held to tradition, Sesshomaru. Your _charming_ mother has nullified the first few centuries for you, however, now that you are of age, your duty is your own." His mate stood with him, and she reached out to straighten his sleeve before stopping herself and folding her hands over her lap. Kueng had not noticed and he continued with his unimportant speech. "Tradition does not die across salty waters for yōkai."

_'Said 'salty waters' is more commonly known as the Sea of Japan'_ Sesshomaru thought as he nodded in a shadow of an angle, a mere sign of understanding, and regained his feet. He knew. He did not like the laws, but he knew them and would abide by them. Having kept them in mind until now was a completely different matter.

Kueng nodded as well, lifting his arm fractionally to beacon his woman to it like a trained hawk, and together they left in the wake of a knowledgeable servant.

Sesshomaru waited until their footsteps faded into nothing before turning and hurrying out the door. He could not scent Kagome on the air in this part of the o-shiro, but he knew where to find her. While walking down the clear outdoor walkway which connected the two buildings he saw a servant step aside and bow her head to hide a faint smile, and for some reason that action did not bother him in the least. In fact, with Kueng there, they were all most likely ecstatic that Kagome was at the o-shiro again. Upon entering one one of four housing buildings and being greeted with Kagome's scent, even more servants tired to hide smiles. It eased him to know their acclimation with having a human miko in their midsts. Sesshomaru knew that many would resist the idea of him pursuing her, but so long as her presence was of no issue he was fine. Acceptance came with time. Not all the servants had children she could charm, after all.

When Sesshomaru arrived Sheng was standing outside the mostly closed door leading into Kagome's quarters, as the room was commonly referred to now.

"That was rather quick," a visibly calmer Sheng commented in a low voice, leading Sesshomaru to guess that Kagome had managed to calm down or even fall asleep. A glance through the ajar door into the dark room confirmed the latter, and an unheeded tension left Sesshomaru in an exhale to know she was relaxed enough to sleep. Even the most exhausted would not find comfort on uncertain grounds.

"Léi Zhuang is more interested in a sitter than in Japan."

Sheng nodded. "That is good, to some degree... How long will he be here?"

Sesshomaru fully slid close the door to block the conversation. "Too long."

The response was an old sounding chuckle. "Still haven't learned to respect him I see?"

"Indeed not." The topic was not pleasant, even a little depressing, but now was a good time to indulge its release if ever. "He mentioned holding me to tradition."

Again, Sheng nodded. He was most likely expecting as much. "I see. That doesn't mean I'll be giving back control just yet. You seem fond of leaving whenever you please of late anyway."

"Hn," Sesshomaru intoned. He did not want full control just yet. The freedom was much desired since his time was mostly devoted to Kagome. In fact, his being held to tradition would be pushing him to court her even more now.

Shifting his stance, Sheng glanced at where the gap in the doors used to be and returned his attention to Sesshomaru. "You do know the details of that law, correct?"

"Yes."

"Good," he said. "Then you also know that by late summer she needs to make up her mind."

This summer? That was it? Where had all the time gone? He soon remembered exactly where it went, and a foreign emotion stirred in Sesshomaru and he felt the corners of his mouth tense to smile. He had been interested in Kagome for nearly four and a half years? That was a sinful amount of time, but had been enjoyed.

Sheng almost abruptly dismissed himself, patting Sesshomaru's shoulder in passing twice in an uncharacteristic fashion. He thought for a meaning behind it, and finding none by the time Sheng turned a corner he dismissed it and eased the door open.

The lack of illumination enforced the fact that night had fully settled in already, and Sesshomaru's eyes adjusted quickly when he cut off the light from the hall. The floor was brushed with a powdery glow near the doors which led to the small private yard, its intensity stating that there was still ample snow outside, and possibly a mostly full moon, the last marking that Bashamon's seal needed to be strengthened again soon.

The thick blanket which covered the elevated futon bed did not stir, even as Sesshomaru padded over and knelt to see Kagome's expression. She was asleep on her side, her head pillowed by a blanket folded to lay across the upper portion of the futon like a makeshift pillow -since she absolutely refused to use the head rests which were typically used in this day and age- and her eyes were calm.

His shoulders loosened at the sight of her being comfortably asleep and snuggled so deeply under the blanket that her mouth and nose were covered. She was fine for now, yet he had the feeling that she would be filled with renewed sorrow upon waking.

Standing, Sesshomaru decided to be content with things being the way they were and walked for the door. He changed his mind before opening it though. Why would he leave if he would wonder how she was doing and itch to come back? Also, she would wake being sad, no matter who greeted her, and humorously enough he would hate to not be there for it.

Deciding to stay and wait, Sesshomaru resigned himself to sit against the wall and think about his new predicament. Sheng said late summer, and that did not seem like enough time to convince Kagome to become Sesshomaru's mate. There was the matter of the well to resolve, his cousin to keep tabs on, and the overall responsibilities of being a lord which already would have taken up most of his time if Sheng had not seized the almost dreadful duty. Sesshomaru owed the man a few years of leave for his services.

Folding his arms one over the other, his sleeves obviously short, he realized that he was watching the gentle movement which indicated Kagome's breathing. He could hear it, her soft exchange of air stroking his awareness with a tranquilizing regularity. Her scent was different as well, losing emotion and becoming just warm and alive with sleep. It was almost enough to drag his thoughts away for a later time, but they persisted with a prominent and scary one. If Kagome denied him and said that she would not be his mate by late summer, then Sesshomaru would be left to wait for a mate his mother chose. An arrangement, like her own love life.

He stifled a rising shudder. Giving up everything, right down to his bloodline, to pursue his own interests seemed far more tantalizing than being placed into a forced relationship.

The rustle of fabric drew his attention back to the low laying bed, and he watched as Kagome shifted before breathing in and out deeply, her sleep undisturbed. Sesshomaru did nothing to avoid the yawn that crept out and into existence, and when it passed he kept his eyes closed and his head up.

He humored himself. If she said no to him, and if the unfavorable engagement did take place, then he could form a harem and keep to tradition in that manner. He had a feeling that his body would be eased, like what Chole's services had alloted, but his heart would not. There was a definite difference between physical and emotional love, and why Kagome presumed the two to be one in the same escaped him completely. It had taken him a long time to know exactly why she was so mad with him over Chole. Women had an easily unleashed jealous streak which was longer, wider, and older than the Nile, but he hadn't expected her reasons behind it. To him, it was silly to even compare the two forms of love, but since it bothered her he decided to play by her rules. Lovemaking was nice, but he had only felt the desire to bond to another with her. She was right when she had said that she was the one to make him laugh, and that fact bore more truth and meaning to it than she seemed to notice when she had said it.

Still, despite all things in time, she didn't trust him. She did with her life and her body, to some extent, but she did not trust him to keep safe her emotions. That he had already failed before she acknowledged giving them over to him was disconcerting, and the fact that she had already surrendered most of her love and trust to him was promising, but what worried him was that she did not want to be aware of their relationship.

Tired, Sesshomaru lowered his head and shifted his shoulders, listening to the footsteps of an approaching servant pause and then tip-toe the other way. At least Kagome would have peace while he was there with her, even if he was just sitting around and thinking on unsettling matters. Yes, she accepted that she was 'fond' of him, and that he was 'fond' of her, and she permitted that they expressed as much with ample touching and kissing that would send them both reeling in sensation, but she seemed unaware of the fact that people who did such things more than once were more than fond of one another. How to show her that fact had been challenging him for a long time now. It was not something he could just tell her in expectation that things would flow from that point on. She had to be the one to discover it, no matter how long it took, and if he had to make drastic decisions by the end of summer then... Well, then he would be left to think about his interests again. There were limits after all. Even in love. If Kagome would ask that he give up his life, everything that he had ever worked for, just so she could prolong shuffling her feet indecisively, then yes, he would have to think things over. No matter how much he would not want to.

The images of his thoughts began to last longer and became sensible in transition, and the courtesy driven obligation to leave before risking falling asleep appeared and then vanished. He was comfortable enough and enjoyed being with her, even if she was eight feet away. As he continued fantasizing possibilities his senses began to dull, but he remained very aware of her as her presence calmed him and encouraged that he relax with her.

* * *

If Sheng had thought that intercepting Sesshomaru's mother was difficult, keeping her away from her son for a verbal lashing was even harder. He figured out through her feminine rantings that she had seen Léi Kueng and his mate being escorted away after -maybe- ten minutes of talking with Sesshomaru. That was far too short a meeting to bear anything good. She also complained about Sesshomaru being too thickheaded for his own good, and Sheng was amused that it had been over pulling up his hair as though he were claimed and due to mate. He could have gotten away with it, but Sheng sided with Sesshomaru on that one. Lying also made bad promises for the future.

Sheng glanced at her tea again, wondering if it had begun to boil yet in the woman's grip. "Well, my dear," he started with a grin, being the only one who could find amusement in the present circumstances and annoy her with it. She needed a healthy dose of irritation, and no one there had the nerve to serve it but him. Well, perhaps 'nerve' was not the right term. 'Audacity', possibly, or even 'invincibility'? Most likely the latter, since they were in that room alone. "Would you care to indulge my old ears with your worries?"

That tea cup of hers came down hard enough to crack, but not break. That was a good cup, too. "That insufferable son of mine," she growled, her right set of fingers tapping rhythmically against the fissured ceramic as though teasing its new decrepit state. "I swear, if he had it his way, our whole bloodline of relatives would turn into a blood_bath_ before politics could be discussed."

Sheng chuckled, wishing his tea would turn to sake and soon becoming disappointed. So he spoke rather than drank. "Even as a child he hated politics. His father should have not become so absorbed."

Her gaze hardened, but he was used to such displays. "Are you insinuating that my mate was a bad role model?"

Thinking on that for a second, he answered "yes, on that note" and took a drink, grimacing inside. Sake was so much better. After a few years of learning to enjoy it.

Her threat was jostled by the slight widening of her eyes, completely ruined. "He was a good man, and you know that."

Sheng grinned openly. "Are you insinuating that I would call my best friend otherwise, little Li Hua?"

A vexed sigh escaped her. He only called her that because she sincerely detested it, as had her mate despised his. Old Tao must have a more self-amusing reason for nicknames. After all, it got both laughter and groans during boring meetings. Kagome pulled top rank on second naming though with 'Sesshy'.

"I merely suggest that Sesshomaru's desire to not emulate his father stretches into his drive to fulfill the duties of a lord," Sheng informed blandly, leaning to set his cup a little further than arm's length away from himself. Tea was fine, just not the herbal sort. Which was pretty much all of them. "He is still rather young for the position, after all. Your mate, with half the land, struggled enough at the mature age of one thousand twenty four. So much so that he had me start up the council and head it. Now we are to expect Sesshomaru, at little more than seven hundred, to rein over twice the terrain, grow accustomed to his responsibilities, and pursue his love interest all of a sudden within a few months? I must admit, in his shoes I would be having heart failure nightly. Barely sleep at all with all the paperwork as it is."

The Lady of the o-shiro blinked elegantly at him. "You have quite the talent for turning the conversation..."

"That I do," he agreed with a nod.

She tapped her cup a few more times, the sharp points of her little claws scraping the crack with unconscious interest. "Trust me, I know it is a lot, but surely he can put his feet on the ground long enough to apply more common sense to his decisions."

Yes, that would make life easier for the rest of those in power, but it was not Sesshomaru's nature to think of everyone else.

"Ever since he disappeared that month," Li Hua slowly pondered aloud to herself, dropping them into a few seconds of silence. "Hm. I still do not know that whole story."

"Nor do I," he stated to avoid the imminent inquiry.

Taking a sip of tea, she continued. "Was he not also a tad worried over the security of the o-shiro?"

Sheng felt himself smirk while he shook his head. "If you want answers, I suggest you ask him yourself."

She scoffed sarcastically, the noise clearly saying 'yeah, right'. "The only information I could ever pry from him was when he could be manipulated at a young age. And once after he dismissed a whore."

"Chiro?"

She almost snorted her drink through her nose and came centimeters away from smashing it against the table again, refraining and putting it down gently the rest of the way. "No," she replied firmly, insulted. "The women who visited before Chiro was established in his room."

Sheng gave an intrigued hum.

"And I am not telling you what he told me."

"Such a tease," he muttered, knowing she could hear. That made the corner of her mouth twitch with quickly suppressed mirth, and she sent her sight elsewhere.

"I just have trouble accepting these problems. Kagome is a good girl, and she brings out a better side in Sesshomaru, but-" She cut herself off, as though expecting him to do it.

"... But?" he prompted at her lack of continuation.

"Oh, Sheng..." she breathed in a small sound of confusion, shaking her head lethargically while addressing a wall. "_Why_ have they not mated yet?"

He could have barked with laughter, and would have if she had promised to not harm him for it. Instead he reached a short ways and patted her wrist, her hands still on that cup, and her eyes flicked to his.

"They will," he reassured. "Someday. And I am sure she will be red for a month and Sesshomaru positively ecstatic, if that is imaginable."

Li Hua gave a humored hum to that, thumbs working the ceramic in her hands. "If I had arranged a marriage, things would be so much easier."

"Maybe," Sheng agreed. "This is a good decision for him to make though. I am certain he shares some of your doubts. No man is devoid of discouragement and uncertainty."

Sheng flinched when a pair of hands abruptly smacked the tabletop, and peering from his peripheral he was graced with the sight of a very displeased young woman.

"He is having second thoughts?" she seethed calmly, her deadly still eyes trained for his response as her nails slowly itching little furrows into the lacquered wood of the tabletop.

Sheng's back broke into a sudden sweat, and when he faced her and opened his mouth a very unexpected and unmanly giggle cracked out and promptly died. "I- wouldn't put it _that_ way."

She took her nails out of the table, but that meant they were pointing at him instead, and he preferred the physical stated of being unscathed.

"Then in which way would you?" she inquired, void of emotion and still not blinking.

He felt as though he should be in his room and drinking rather than a table away from a woman who was one eye-twitch away from demolishing that poor little cup. Sesshomaru could be scary, yes, but his mother was simply terrifying with the right swing of her mood. He pondered on what would happen if he let her leave, and gave a very well hidden start over how cold the room suddenly got. No, that would not be a very good idea to reveal to Kagome what she could become related to...

Thankfully, for the ungrateful, Sheng had quite the immunity against fear and possible loss of pride. "You do know that asking him to put his hair up was going too far, correct?"

* * *

Kagome, stirring awake for no better reason than she could, briefly imagined that she had been bitten by the mosquito from hell. Her face felt swollen, her mind slow and addled, and her limbs were far too heavy to enjoy moving. A morbid grief crouched over the doorway of consciousness, waiting for her to fully wake up and remember something important but so far forgotten.

She wondered vaguely while shifting under her blanket what had woken her up. There was no alarm screaming that she was late for class, nor the harsh harass of crickets from sleeping under the canopy of trees, nor was Sota pounding on her door before barging in anyway. In fact, it was all very quiet, warm, comfortable, and entirely escaping her in terms of location.

She knew her face had puffed up slightly by how thick her eyelids were, and the surroundings were a very general blur of night. She blinked a few times to no prevail, then finally rubbing her eyes free from the film she looked around again and froze with shock before figuring out where she was.

When did she come back to the o-shiro? Oh, wait, was Sheng still there? He had been a minute ago, though now all the oil lamps were pinched to death and the room was obscured with shades of gray and fuzzy lines.

She groggily groaned in protest while moving an elbow under herself to have a look around and see if Sheng was just leaving. She caught a pair of golden eyes instead, and after her initial shock of seeing them she relaxed. It was Sesshomaru, and there was an interesting softness on his face, like he had just woken up. _Had_ he been sleeping? _There_??

Realization as to why she was back at the o-shiro suddenly came crashing down, landing on her heart and pulling it towards the floor. She remembered the tears she had shed, and that the well would not be sending her to the future anymore. Her eyes stung anew, but she recalled that Sesshomaru promised to do his best in fixing the problem, and quelled the rising desire to weep.

"How do you feel?"

Her attention went back to him and she offered a weak smile, blinking the trace of tears dry. "Pretty bad, actually." She didn't have the heart to tell him that her world wanted to cave in. Would she ever see her family again? Her friends? Television? No, she wasn't going to think about that. She'd be fine, and everything would work out in the end. She had to trust, because if she didn't then she'd be crying herself to death. "But I'm fine. I'll be fine."

She looked up and saw Sesshomaru watching her, most likely weighing her expression against her scent to evaluate her emotion. He probably knew that she felt like dirt and would randomly cry for the next week before her resolve settled fully on hope, but what did she know? She never asked him how his senses worked.

He stood, and she watched with a dropping sensation of dread when he glanced quickly at the door. "Don't go." She had breathed it, barely even whispered. It was supposed to just be a thought, but it was there, and he had heard it. She knew he heard her, because his gaze immediately joined hers again.

His stare was always a heavy weight to bear. It was strong, and always the shimmer of a predator lay in its depths, but right now she relaxed when he looked to her. Deep down she knew his strength was her protection, and his deadliness the weapon he'd unleash on those who would hurt her. A blush tingled her cheeks at that thought, but right now she was more grateful than embarrassed. She wanted to feel that right now. She wanted to be able to rely on him, and not be shy about it. After all, she deserved to be loved and to be someone's first priority in life, but she needed to return what was given and fill it with trust or it would die.

Kagome watched as her free hand grabbed the edge of the blanket of its own accord, and with a flick of the wrist sent it folding back over itself. She met Sesshomaru's eyes when he didn't move, and she didn't feel shy. "I don't want to be alone right now. Will you stay with me?"

She thought she should be flaming red for asking him to join her in bed, or at the very least be stammering over her words, but her voice was a little numb at the moment and she wanted him to be with her. She didn't want to be left behind.

Kagome, still on her elbow, watched him walk over silently and calmly ease onto the bed, hands first. She had never seen him in a kimono before, and it was hidden by the blanket while she was still examining it. Focusing on his face, and on his gentle gaze as his position mirrored hers, she slowly began to feel better. The weight of his hand rested on her side, above her hip and not imposing, and in a seemingly quick motion she put her face to his chest and hugged her arms around his torso, giving him what she wanted as her insecurity hummed with sudden tension. She needed his reassurance. To be wrapped in his arms again and held away from reality. Just for a while. She just wanted to world to shrink to the two of them, and to relish in its simplicity and in the love she knew was there.

She could have sobbed with happiness when he shifted off his elbow and rested, her head settling on his arm while its twin wrapped around her back and held her tightly against him. She pressed into his body, his warmth seeping through her and his strength making her feel small yet sheltered. And loved. His presence banished her worries, woes, and the wounds of uncertainty. She moved, fitting herself against him and wanting to become lost in the moment and feeling. Passion surged to life in her, brimming and telling her this was good and right and that no matter how much she shied away from it she really did love him. His breath stirred her hair as she nuzzled into his neck, hugging him firmly. The strong and bonding emotion throbbed for attention when she acknowledged that it was okay for her to reveal weakness right now, to him. He was there for her, like she had asked. She wanted to trust him, and wanted to sift away her stress through him in exchange that he would know that she was leaning heavily on him. For some reason though, she was okay with him knowing. She actually looked forward to it.

"I'm scared," she admitted softly, seeing him through closed eyes as his hand rubbed soothingly between her shoulder blades. Her tears remained at bay. "I want to see my family again, but if you move the tree again, will I be stuck four more years in the future?"

He inhaled deeply, her closeness making the sensation her own as she felt and heard it almost first hand, and she repeated him, calming a little. "I do not know."

She wasn't sad when there was no answer, and her hopes didn't die. It felt good to know he was listening to her. She was just happy he was there and supporting her. "Okay."

A small hum came from him, resonating warmly through her, and her grip on him loosened a little. "Would you like to try, despite the consequences?"

Her fingers flexed, gathering his kimono into her grasp and threatening to never let go. "I don't know. I don't want to be trapped on either side of the well. And I don't know how many times the tree can handle being moved."

She released a pent up breath as his hand continued to stroke her back, and she rested in his arms. Her lips touched his neck, and through their sensitivity she felt his pulse, liking it. It was slower than hers, and she blamed his lifespan for that. She tried to not move and to breathe more softly, just to make sure she didn't miss the next beat.

His hand moved from her back to her head, still moving steadily, smoothing away her unease. She didn't know he could do that. His voice was a low rumble through her, illogically relaxing. "I am still willing to teach you how to live longer."

She had forgotten that. The shock didn't open her eyes, but it did stir her from a weariness she hadn't noticed. "What do you mean?" She knew what he said, but the thought was still foreign to her.

His fingers were brushing through her hair, slow and not tugging enough to disturb her in the slightest. It felt good, like his sedated pulse against her lips when she found it again. "You can extend your life, like I do," he explained softly. "Then you would not have to worry about being trapped, merely patient."

_'For five hundred years?'_ she thought sleepily, now listening to his breathing as well. Everything was so slow with him. She wouldn't be surprised if he sometimes breathed just to have enough air to talk. Did he ever get lightheaded from talking too much if that were the case?

Kagome realized there had been a silence when he gently cracked it. "I will help you in any way I can with whatever you decide."

"Mm," she accepted his offer, sighing faintly when his arm settled to her back again in a light and constant hug. She was small, warm, safe, and so very tired. Being cradled in his care, she accepted that she was going to fall asleep in his arms, and a small smile spread across her mouth as a little voice in her head began singing. The fingers of her memory cupped around her emotions, encasing them in a dfiamond box for her to feel time and time again. Her arms were loose around his waist, making sure he wouldn't leave without her knowing, and she mentally watched the last threads of consciousness slowly tuck themselves away for the night.

* * *

**A/N:** Aaaaaaaaaaaw... It got cute. Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Again, I openly admit that it may be a month or a little more before I update again. I wish that weren't the case, but having a life and responsibilities takes time away from writing. Hopefully the content will make up for the wait!

Thanks for sticking with me, everyone! And as always, I'll love you if you review! :D


	6. If It's Not One Thing

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I'm not going to explain the hiatus from writing, as it's a long and unnecessary story. :) There's a little something about it on my account though, if you're interested.

To continue with something I wrote about a month ago: WOW. I LOVE all the feedback I got! Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! It makes writing all these pages worth it. (even if I do privilege myself and bicker in some.)

So, before I start, I'd like to address some general concerns that were expressed, so now some of you who did not ask may now have the answers!

1: If you don't understand a chapter, or a scene confuses you, please let me know. If you're being general though and say 'the second half of the chapter was hard to grasp', then I can only give you a general answer in return. So, if you can specify what's giving you a hard time, feel free to ask me about it and I'll be happy to explain/edit (a lot of you have actually caught mistakes I've made by pointing out confusing parts. :D). If a LOT of things confused you though, then I highly recommend that you go back and re-read the chapter. I suggest this not because of doubt of your ability to grasp things, but because things are easier to read once the excitement to read something new is over. Also, it's not uncommon for me to remember the most random of facts and to give them very important meaning later, so please do not continue reading until your uncertainties are resolved, okay? Otherwise you'll be stumbling, and may get frustrated, and I want you to enjoy the story rather than trudge through it. :P Now, if something is just blindingly wrong, then please PM me and I'll edit it A-SAP while cursing my ability to overlook such things. :D

2: Yes, Kagome's going through a very, to put it harshly, 'not so spunky and audacious' phase right now. No worries, she'll get her rebellious spirit back (some of you have already guessed how... Darn it) and it'll be way in time for teaching Sesshomaru how to swim. :P I haven't forgotten that little agreement of theirs! (Example A for random facts drawn from previous chapters.) To continue, there's actually a **really** great reason why she's going through this phase (yes, I plan these things...), and I'm not telling you exactly what it is. Ha ha! _Vaguely_ what it is, is I'm setting up a 'reader response' later in the story. DX I know, who has the time to think of that in a fanfic, but that's what I do when macroeconomics and language intensives have me brain dead. It's going to happen, and dammit, you **better** love it! X3 By the way, I actually got a B in that economics course! YAAAAAY!! I was expecting to fail! :3 Now I'm in a Spanish language intensive until this coming weekend.. -feels brain sizzle- Intensives are hard.

3: Ah, what else was there...? Oh! The one thing that's driving _everyone_ up the wall! Kagome's freakin' annoying uncertainty about relationships! ... Well, I could seriously write five pages of psychology to support my reasonings behind this, but to put it point-blank and to avoid all the details I've already given in past Author Notes: It is part of the plot. I'm sorry, but the plot _simply_ doesn't work out without this. Sounds dumb, right? All my friends say I'm insane, and I don't care if you agree with them because I **am**, and so far, said insanity has made a pretty good story. (I'm still appalled that it's so freakin' long. It was supposed to be ten chapters in all! And I'd make a squinty eyed emoticon with a little anger mark, but these sites hate those things, so I can't. T-T I can make _that_ one though!) So, yes, it's taking a very, very, very... **very** long time. Since the ending of Spring Fever, I've tried changing it, tried altering the plot, and tried to find places to quirk, but nothing works out without degrading the whole story, and I'd rather have a good plot than a sensible and well deserved establishment to their relationship. Sorry, but it's going to be that way. I'll make it up to you with some lemons later on, how about that? :P (No, they'll not be a driving force of any sort, they're just for your enjoyment. Even though you _could_ be under eighteen. -raises eyebrow- It's naughty little girls like you who make adults like me into criminals. :O :) XP)

Alright, that's all so far. Thanks for reading the author's note I've had two months to clutter. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**If It's Not One Thing...**

Sesshomaru awoke to a faint, feminine and young 'ohh!' which was promptly followed by several soft yet urgent 'ssh!' before all noise died, leaving the surroundings to be far too quiet.

That was jarringly out of place... As was his physical condition. He felt heavy, and warm, and so very relaxed. He remained still, muscles burdened and lethargic from a rarely good rest. Perhaps he could forget the noises ever happened and slip away again.

Unfortunately, the morning scenario became even more peculiar by the instant. Starting with the discovery that he had a slight, foreign weight on his stomach. To cancel out the first suspicion, it was lighter than his arms; one of which was uncharacteristically on his chest, and the other was pinned. He was restrained? Why?

Before alarm could form, his senses gathered information. There was no malice hanging in the air, no fear for being caught, and there was someone there who smelled familiar, like him, and yet did not. Also, the weight on his arm had a pulse, which thumped lightly and frequently in time with what was draped on his stomach. There was breathing as well, and it was quicker than his own, yet calm.

This was puzzling, until he took his second conscious breath and recognized a particular female scent he was excessively fond of lately. He felt himself relax from a tension he had not noticed gathering. Kagome. It was Kagome. Everything was fine, and Sesshomaru was ready to laugh at himself. He had not placed her as being there after growing accustomed to her presence all night, his scent weighing over her own in a way that pleased him immensely. Normally, he could not smell himself. No one could smell themselves, unless they were exerting their bodies, and even then it was difficult. Right now, his scent was woven domineeringly through Kagome's, their stronger qualities highlighting one another's. The reason he enjoyed this so much was because their odors were actually mingling (despite his coming off more forcefully), and that was not something that happened normally from being in the same room with someone.

Sesshomaru smirked at the thought, his face being tilted away from the open door. Kagome's hair tickled his lips when they moved, and everything was very, very fine.

He was on his back though, not his side in the position he had fallen asleep in. Why he did not recall turning onto his back escaped him. Such was intriguing because he always remembered when and how he moved while he slept, even if in a fully unconscious state created by exhaustion, but he overlooked this.

Having been awake now for a grand total of two and a half seconds, he bothered to observe that he was not in his quarters but in Kagome's. It also came to mind that he was still in that kimono, that it was her arm which was across his abdomen in a loose hold, her head was cushioned just below his right collar bone, and there were about forty servants outside the room in an organized line. One of them was walking away from the door and another was tip-toeing closer to it.

Apparently, everyone knew now that he and Kagome had spent a night together, and some of the servants had the gall to treat their lord and his intended as a spectacle. It was obvious that nothing intimate happened between them, considering that his and Kagome's clothes remained on and there was a definite lack of that certain pleasant odor of copulation, but rumors would most likely flow like blood in battle anyway.

Since he actually felt only minutely irritated by this, rather than scare the life out of everyone he simply stirred into action a small part of his youki; a typical routine of his since it jumped his senses into full action. He could not help but to be humored by the sudden stillness of everyone within fifty feet and how they soon fled with silent steps like a crowd of spooked spirits. No one even dared to close the crack that was in the door, how rude.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes when Kagome reacted to his stirring energy. She gave a short grumble of a moan and lifted her arm from his stomach to his chest in a smooth and heavy motion. She breathed in, long and deep, for a total of about three seconds, the whole time moving and snuggling against him in a way that made a smile break havoc on his face, and when she settled again her breath came out in a long and satisfied hum.

Today was an undeniably good day.

The sun was already up, and probably had been up for over two hours now. He vaguely wondered how he had managed to stay asleep when Kagome shifted again, the second time in three seconds, hugging his torso and drawing her leg over his own while making more of her little hums in a language he failed to fully comprehend but enjoyed nonetheless. He like her when she was unconscious, she was quite open about her feelings in that state.

It was all too good to last though, and he wondered if it was the stir of his youki that summoned her awareness. He was betting it was, and if so then he was impressed. Not many could sense such minute amounts while unconscious.

"Mmm..." she groaned, rubbing her cheek inquisitively against him through the kimono as though to figure out exactly what she was sleeping on. He smiled anew, feeling her hand roam his upper body with half a thought to try and figure it out. It went from his side, to his shoulder, up his neck, felt his cheek, and he decided to take her wrist gently before losing an eye to her curiosity.

Her head came up at the contact, quickly in an unaware manner. The upper half of her body lifted as well, miraculously propped on an elbow, and she looked down at him with a frown that was almost ill with exhaustion. Her hair was slightly tousled from sleep, framing her face in depth while brushing the sides of her cheeks.

"Good morning," he greeted, wondering when she would snap out of her daze. He decided to help her with it by drawing her already grasped hand to his mouth and planting a light kiss over her fingers. It amazed him how long it took for her to wake up, but it did promise to be entertaining.

She just stared, slowly taking her hand back and laying the flat of that arm across his torso for support. Seeming to decide that she was dreaming, she lay back down on him and sighed. His chuckle did nothing to rouse her, despite the fact that her ear was directly over his sternum now, and so he waited.

It took eight more seconds for her to flinch, pat at him again three times with both hands, and then shoot up onto her palms with a very shocked expression.

Today was a good, amusing day.

"Sesshomaru?" she asked quickly and at a volume too high for someone just waking up. She seemed to shock herself with it.

He simply could not resist playing with her a little. "No. Guess again."

That frown returned, and after she thought his answer over he received a light smack against his left shoulder, making him chuckle again.

She looked around, annoyed, then saw the bright door and was shocked. "It's DAY?"

"Morning," he clarified, shifting.

She still had a hand on him, and his motions drew her eyes downwards. She was surprised to see that she was indeed touching him, and her gaze fixed to his. She had very clear, blue eyes in the morning. "Did I fall asleep on you??"

Sesshomaru got a huge grin on his face, hoping to have more mornings just like this. "No, in my arms. Do either bother you?"

She blushed, and he loved it. "Actually," she began, eyes shying away and coming back after her sentence. "Overall, it doesn't."

That piqued his interest. "Really?"

She smiled, beautiful despite her need for a brush, and shrugged. "I guess. You make a pretty good pillow." She giggled and quickly bent to peck his lips, then pulled away with a faint blush and a somewhat naughty light to her expression. "And that was our first official 'good morning' kiss."

"They are a routine thing?" he asked, his right hand -no longer pinned by her side- finding the small of her back and rubbing it, making her smile falter momentarily.

"They can be," she admitted, relaxing against his chest again as she propped her cheek against the heel of her palm and curled fingers. "At least, more routine than kissing someone's hand."

A low and attracted growl rumbled from him, partially intentional to see her giggle again, and he carefully cupped the back of her neck in his hand and drew her down for a better 'first good morning kiss'.

* * *

Today was a pretty good day for Kagome, and she hadn't even gotten out of bed yet. Waking up was a bit confusing, but after an excellent night's sleep she was ready for whatever the rest of the day could throw at her. Even if it was Sesshomaru, who was currently very awake and delighting her with his mouth against her own, the contact powerful, wanting, and yet caring all at the same time. He made her melt and drip floating pink hearts...

She felt her fingers roaming the reinforced collar of his kimono, stopping when his touch on her lower back went higher and their positions were smoothly exchanged. He hadn't become that aggressive that quickly before, but it was actually a huge turn on for her. Especially as she felt some of his weight press against her and his hand slide from behind her back to smooth across her chest. She was liking where good morning kisses wound up so far, and became determined that nothing would interrupt the fun they were going to have. Limited fun, of course...

She found his collar again, and tucking her fingers under the folds she brushed his skin. Starting at his chest, her touch caressed over his shoulders, to his back, and pushed against the fabric so that it'd loosen enough for her to pull it down his broad shoulders.

At that their kiss stopped, and he pulled back an inch. "Wait."

She grinned. Playing hard to get? "I didn't think you'd be the first to toss the white flag," she teased, lifting her head to his again and holding it up until his return pushed her back against the futon mat. In a few moments she was missing his skin and resumed disrobing him.

"Kagome." he interrupted them another time, the thickness of his tone sending shivers down her back to gather in her lower feminine zone. It felt fantastic.

"No excuses," she told him, wanting more, exposing his left shoulder and waiting for him to remove his arm, as per usual. He didn't, so she loosened the oddly thicker sash so as to draw it further down his back. He'd either pull his arm out, or let it stay oddly trapped in the fabric.

"Wait," he repeated himself, lifting off of and away from her into a spread-knee sitting position. It was his only option, really, since he had been straddling her thigh.

How annoying. "I said, 'no'," she told him, completely affronted. She sat up with him, pinching her legs around his right knee so he couldn't go anywhere. Well, not easily, anyway.

"But-" he tried again, actually reaching to lift the fabric back over his shoulder. She cut off whatever he was going to say with a vexed groan, knocked his hand aside, grabbed the thick folded layers of silk, and flung them away to make them fall down his back.

She watched in satisfaction as the layers caught at his elbows, exposing quite the beautiful body, but the already loosened sash unloosened the rest of the way and- Oh, and he was wearing a kimono. Haha, no hakama, right...

...

... ...

Sesshomaru sighed, not embarrassed, and calmly plugged his poor ears.

His motion jerked her back into reality, and she gave out a throat-tearing shriek before her blush strangled it in her throat. After figuring out that she couldn't get away because her legs were locked around his she twisted, squirmed, and was instantly and completely off the bed and and standing a healthy ten feet away with her back to him, absolutely shaking. Dear lord, she had _just_ seen him naked! NAKED!! Her eyes were no longer virgins!

"Get some clothes on!" she yelled breathlessly and almost out of instinct when the rustle of fabrics scrapped her suddenly sensitive hearing.

"Really, no one is that innocent," he almost accused in a voice that was a giggle and a snort away from laughing at her.

Normally, she would have wheeled around, crossed her arms, and looked him up and down rudely before snapping back at him, but she was perfectly fine with her stance as it was. With her hands raised and pressing burning cheeks. "Well, _I_ am, and don't you **dare** tell me how _you're _not or _I'm_ not speaking to you for a **week**!" Okay, she helped her mom take care of Sota, but she'd never seen a fully developed man. Erm, live, at least. Maybe the slight racing of her heart was putting more weight to her words. She wasn't mad, per say. How could she be? Actually, she'd dare go as far as to say that it was quite a thrill, until her attentions would return to the extra space between her and inexperience. Then she just settled on being embarrassed, being pretty comfortable with that emotion of late. It took up most of the slices of her spinning mood wheel, which Sesshomaru was beginning to learn how to handle with more accuracy than he should have. Darn him.

"You are serious?"

Kagome jumped out of her thoughts and back into the present situation, and glanced over her shoulder at him. He was covered as much as necessary, which wasn't much. The kimono was in place and tied with the upper portion off and hanging almost messily at his waist. Nothing was 'messy' with him though, and if it was then he made it look intentional. Dammit! Why couldn't _she_ undress him to look like that, all decently robed and ready to innocently molest, without everything falling apart. Or, rather, falling open.

She blushed again and looked away, wondering if she should go find a blood loving demon to alleviate her of a pint so she'd stop heating up like that. Every time she blushed she heard in the recesses of her memory Sesshomaru's mother telling her to do it more, and it was getting on her nerves.

The bed's small sigh of relief was the warning she had that he was behind her before his hands were lightly on her arms and his hair falling forward to enter her peripheral. She was ready to telling him to go away and cool off for a while, give her time to collect herself, but instead of words a little squeal sang from her when his lips and breath tickled her left ear intentionally.

"Stop that!" she giggled, jerking her head away and not getting too far. She whipped her left hand back, hoping to at least get his forehead, and she hit nothing but air. Her wrist was then caught in a soft but unyielding grip, keeping her hand slightly above her head, and she screamed with laughter when her right side was attacked with tickles. "Sessh-EEEE!! A-HAHAHA!! No!! Sto-A-HAHAHAHAHA!! Stop it! Stoppitstoppitsto-AAAAH!! E-HEHEHEHEE!!"

Through her outbursts, during which she was squirming and angling around her seized wrist like a fish suspended on the line, she heard him chuckling and enjoying himself. He wasn't even touching her too much. It was likely just the disregarded desire to laugh and knowing that he was doing it that really sent her over the edge. When he finally stopped, leaving her panting for air and giggling like a little girl, she felt him leave a kiss on her neck before letting her hand go.

"That was mean," she tried to scold, not doing so well through a smile and quick pants as his arms wrapped intimately under hers and held her loosely. Her back was still against him as she leaned, but for some reason she guessed that he would know she was smiling even if he didn't see it. And that was fine.

He chuckled. "It was a delight, and that is all that matters."

Scoffing at him, she turned in his arms and poked his chest lightly, getting no more of a response than him looking down at the gesture before releasing her to shrug back into the kimono. So, he didn't finish dressing just to get a rise out of her? Clever jerk...

It felt colder without him touching her, and Kagome realized that a slight addiction might be taking hold as she watched the muscles of his body move, enjoying herself to an almost sinful degree as he wrestled into a clothed state of being. When they were covered by the fabric she was left to regard his trim frame and wonder at how fun it would be to undo his work all over again before pinning him to the bed.

"Are you enjoying your thoughts?" he asked, smoothing the layers so they weren't rumpled in the least and tightening the sash to finish the job.

"M-hm..." She definitely needed a camera.

A warm and tender feeling nestled in her when he chuckled and held her hips, drawing her closer all over again. Maybe it was just her imagination, but they were actually rocking a little. Melting seemed an easily attained goal now, especially when he asked if she was interested in staying the following night as well. Her imagination latched onto that offer like a pink and feathery, padded bear trap, with bubbly hearts and cupids poised overhead, and it wouldn't let it go. She got a thrilling tingle out of that. And then she thought outside that lovely box.

"Actually, if I stay over again without saying anything to anyone, then I think InuYasha will storm over here wondering if I'm okay. Shippo probably blabbed that we were more intimate since the last time he was us together. Little brat."

She expected Sesshomaru to be peeved over bringing up his half-brother, but he wasn't. "The fool cannot enter the o-shiro."

"Really?" she asked, surprised. "No 'I've got the blood of an heir so suck it up' trick for him?" The Hollywood raping of such a concept certainly credited the thought... "Hm. Well, he can certainly yell through the barrier for a few days straight."

"You wish to stay that long?"

Kagome squirmed. _'No. I want to stay longer, you idiot.'_ she thought hopelessly, no longer keeping her hands to herself -well, they were on his chest, but that was 'to herself' compared to what they'd been doing- and hugging him fondly. He was being so freaking lovable, she could hardly stand it. She _still_ had a hard time admitting to herself that this man who tried to kill her on multiple occasions could love her. The thought commonly struck when things were getting good, too. Oh, she'd have voiced her thoughts of how she could stay with him until things got boring -which seemed impossible given who and what they were- but something held her back and she remained silent. He could interpret her lack of response as he chose.

The quiet lasted for three blissful heartbeats. Well, three of hers, maybe one of his. Then he asked in a murmur if she wanted to bathe.

That'd be absolutely wonderful... "That'd be nice," she replied, looking into his face and seeing a little mischievous spark in his eyes, then adding, "but not with you."

He smiled, but the light didn't flicker out. It made her feel all hot and bothered inside, in a good way. "You are sure?"

She was torn between gaping, laughing, and entertaining the thought. So she did all three, and felt her sanity drop a notch. "I'm sure."

He nodded, hands dropping from her slowly, feeling her form almost innocently. She wondered just how good a bath with him would be. Probably steaming and delicious... He smirked as though she just said that aloud, and assuring herself that she didn't Kagome just assumed that her scent was giving her away; with colored signal flags, and theme music.

"Well," she began, stepping out of his reach and surprised to have elbow space, "I'm going then. Will you be busy afterwards with meetings and such?"

Curiosity strummed its cord in her when a thought visibly crossed him and his mood altered. Hardened, in a way. Must not be a pleasant thought. "I will be."

"Okay. I can wait then."

"You should go home," he said, that little frown now comfortable on his face. Dammit, something told her that that was coming. "I may need well over a day, and if your complaints are anything to go by, you cannot entertain yourself that long without complications."

He was teasing her, despite the lacking change of expression, and she crossed her arms. "Can, too. I haven't had a good game of soccer for a while, anyway."

He exhaled, looking at her in a way that made her feel she should be balancing on a scale. A very comfortable scale. He broke their visual bond to regard a wall during his reply. "I will give you time to ponder over it."

She grinned, liking that. "Deal." Hopping on her toes to gain some height, she applauded herself for pecking his lips before walking out, absolutely refusing to look back and see his reaction. She was quite happy with the one that was in her head anyway, and if she turned he'd see her face split brilliantly by achievement and satisfaction. ... Then again, what's the point in hiding something he can most likely sense, anyway?

Sesshomaru didn't follow her down the hall, which was promising depending on the subject. She knew where he was, could feel that he was en route for another part of the o-shiro, but Kagome still peeked over her shoulder a few times just for girliness' sake.

She then walked into an indignant wall.

"Whoah!" Kagome shouted automatically, catching herself half a step later. There was a very weird specimen of 'female' in front of her, inspiring another step back for the sake of personal space. The young lady was huffing and puffing over 'filth' and 'humans' while messing with very unappealing hair that not even hairspray could manage.

Kagome brushed herself off automatically, a subconscious precaution against contracting anything. She hated running into people, especially if it was in a literal way, who radiated confidence.

"Uh, sorry?" Kagome practically asked, wondering who the recipient of the 'filth' comment was. That makeup was too thick to look anything but indecent. And sure, it was partially Kagome's fault for not looking where she was going, but this woman's personality laid waste to any sympathy.

"How DARE you!" the chit accused in an accent, furious and brimming with self-importance, yanking her funny looking kimono into disarray. Chinese? Kagome got the disapproving look over then, and crossed her arms in preparation for the rest of this possibly entertaining verbal onslaught. "You...! _You_ shall address me by my **title**, and _beg_ for forgiveness until I am **sated**, you _little_ **human** _**wretch**_!"

Kagome, arms still crossed, stared as millions of excellent responses all demanded release at the exact same time. There were just too many great ways to ruin this woman's day. "My apologies then. I should have assumed that your ego would cloud your sights in every imaginative form. Next time, I will try harder to sense, and therefore avoid, you at all possible costs, Ms. Twit. Perhaps if you can muster three times as much energy, I will know when you are three inches away."

Her fury was priceless, and she took an angry, noisy inhale through her nose to say something. Then Kagome was put on guard when the twat's mood melted away to mild irritation and... curiosity?

"You are a miko?" the female yōkai inquired, looking at Kagome again. In miko garb and everything. This woman was either a major foreigner, an idiot, or a splendid combination of both.

If silence was golden, Kagome was aiming to be up to her eyeballs in precious metal. Why the sudden question?

The woman filled the sound with a small harrumph, then continued on her way without another word.

... Weird.

The bath was superb, and Kagome was having a great time catching up with Jia while pruning in the hot water. Hot springs were nice, but you just couldn't pass being pampered... It was amazing how dexterous their fingers could be with an aching back, and their stamina was fantastic.

"Oh! Wait!" Kagome called groggily after a young woman who was walking away with her miko fabrics. "Please don't take that away, I don't want to walk around here naked."

"You do not wish to be dressed?" Jia asked, openly bewildered as the girlish servant looked indecisively at the less than clean clothes. "I thought that-"

Kagome caught that Jia's gaze passed her own, and had a feeling someone was giving an 'abort your conversation' signal. "... Thaaaat?" Kagome prompted, as loose and giddy as though she just had a goblet of red wine for her sipping pleasure.

Jia smoothed everything over with a smile. "That you would look lovely today in yellow."

Yellow? "You're lying," Kagome accused lightly, winging it. "What were you going to say?" Jia's smile faltered. Haha, she had her now. "Tell me now, or I am not babysitting the children tonight."

That settled the score, to the point that Jia's truly preteen maturity level exposed itself almost indecently. "That you would stay, and that you finally decided to let him court you!" Jia exclaimed cutely in an eager tone, making Kagome stare. "You two were _**so**_ cute together in bed! Oh, you should have seen yourselves! Everyone wanted Sanyu to come and paint the two of you quickly, but no one could convince him because the paint would have woken the Lord Sesshomaru anyway!" After that terribly excited and hyper one sided conversation, Kagome found herself quite stunned into silence. People had peeped at them?? How... How freaky.

Jia shifted before continuing, clearing her throat as though banishing her mood until further notice. It didn't last long. "Well, the two of you really did look, ah, comfortable. Oh, I am so happy for you! To think that he chose such a wonderful person, and you two are so in love that I'm shocked you have yet to mate! Has he asked you to stay? That would be wonderful news!"

Kagome blinked, processing a couple of thoughts. "Um, Sesshomaru wants me to leave today."

For some reason, hearing all three of them -Why were there always three of them, anyway?- gasp at the same time wasn't too exciting.

"What do you mean?" Jia asked innocently, looking ill with confusion. Kagome hated when women's normal moods changed for rare events, it was odd.

"I mean, I may be leaving," Kagome reinstated. "Today. No matter how painting perfect we may be."

Jia was almost staring her down, then she calmly turned to the woman who was still holding Kagome's clothes. "Yuki, would you keep those hidden for a few months?"

Kagome sat up, sloshing water everywhere. "WHAT?!"

"Nori, I think the white kimono would be glorifying, without the last two layers," Jia continued, completely ignoring Kagome as she tried to see where Yuki was briskly walking off to. She had already left.

"Jia!" Kagome yelled, stupefied and trying to jump out of the tub. It was harder than it looked. "What-?! What do you think you're doing?!"

Jia stood, suddenly very tall and actually threatening, if one could imagine it.

"Me? I'm going to go and fetch another kettle of hot water. Would you like oil in your bath, or rubbed on after your first toweling?"

Kagome, now jumbled and sitting back a little, was starting to get peeved. "Get my clothes back here. I'm not dressing up for him, and if he wants me gone then I'll go."

An utterly wicked grin played itself across Jia's face, and Kagome just waited for the lightning and a morbid blue screen to drop in the background. "Oh, but you are, and you are not, my lady."

...

And so it was decided, and Kagome didn't complain one bit. Nope, not even after she was dressed a little thickly and on her merry little way back to her rooms, with Jia tagging along and possessing a happy smile on her innocent face. That woman was scary.

So scary, in fact, that Kagome almost flinched when Jia grabbed her shoulder, stopping them in their steps. About three inches from Kagome's inertia swung-out hand passed a small procession of servants, a frantic look in their eyes as they hurried off someplace.

"Is there a party tonight or something?" Kagome asked, laying future-wording heavily on her main lady in wait/jail keeper. If the girl was going to throw her connections around to manipulate Kagome's day, then... Well, then Kagome was going to try her best to peeve the woman.

"It is Lady Léi," Jia provided with a bored certainty. "I hear she was suddenly interested in inspecting all the feminine supplies stored here."

... Kagome was going to presume that 'feminine supplies' referred to makeup and clothes and jewelry. She knew what the other version was like in this era, and quite frankly, she did NOT want to become familiar with it. Lucky her, considering her very lacking need for the stuff. Multiple doctor visits confirmed that Kagome was perfectly healthy, despite the fact that she did not bleed for a fifth of every year, as was expected. Rather, it was about twice a year, which saved her from being absolutely humiliated during that summer with Inuyasha, the big-mouth. She felt sorry for Sango. And for all other women, come to think of it. If she had to haul 'feminine supplies' all over feudal Japan, she probably would have given up on the Jewel long before finding the fifth fragment.

Kagome lifted out of her thoughts when a muted groan, twisted with disdain, reached her, and she looked back to see Jia looking down where the servants had long disappeared. "Are you ready to retire to your quarters?"

Sniffing a tad haughtily, Kagome gathered the lacking front of that glorious kimono and marched down the hall after the servants. Jia was ready to treat her like a doll, and that was not nearly as promising as ticking off royalty. "No."

* * *

Relatives were a bad, bad thing. Especially if they were not yours. So, like any proud man, Sheng waited for the 'guests' to leave while cradling under one arm a promising scroll entailing creative human's battle tactics, and under the other a faintly clanking string of sake jars. They would look like a branch of grapes, if grapes were a foot high, half a foot wide, and made of rendered clay. The fruity, tinted drinks across land and sea held nothing to the splendor of well made sake.

The sound of slippered feet caught his ear, and Sheng looked up to watch Kagome enter the hall from an intersecting one, looking first to her left, then right and at him. She smiled, and hurried on past at a slight scurry. Poor thing couldn't do much from the waist down though in a constricting kimono. More scurrying announced another presence. Ah, poor Jia had miko-sitting duties today. That made for great exercise.

"Did a cluster of servants pass this way?" Kagome sought almost formally, not pausing in her quick pace and soon passing Sheng before he could even answer.

"Indeed, though such is common," Sheng answered while slowly turning on his heel so his voice could follow her. Suspiciously enough, Kagome just nodded and hurried onwards. Jia, with an inclination of her head, continued after. It was amusing, watching two women in kimono running one after the other. Like little birds on the beach, when their legs move faster than their bodies through the air can follow.

'Women,' he thought with a chuckle to himself, adjusting the thick rope supporting the collection of sake. 'Maybe I can persuade one to replace this scroll for the evening.'

* * *

Sesshomaru was wondering over whether or not he should worry about Kagome, seeing as he could track her running through the various connected buildings of the o-shiro like it were a maze. He had found it entertaining for the first five minutes, seeing as Jia was not too far behind, though now he was losing sight of any possible purpose. That was a bad omen, when it referred to Kagome. She had a tendency to get herself into trouble when she was bored, from what he could assume.

"Perhaps she is venting," his mother suggested out of nowhere, completely unconcerned with a miko running about and talking into her steaming cup of tea. "Please stop staring at the walls now. You will not see her through them."

Annoyed, Sesshomaru pressed his lips momentarily and decided to eat something. For some reason, he was actually hungry. And sugared cookies were excellent for solving that dilemma. As he reached for one, the gaze of his mother fell on him and he regarded her, drawing a good handful of sweets closer and cupping them in his left palm like it were a bowl. The evil woman was smiling over something.

"Sweets, Sesshomaru?" she finally asked, now smiling.

He paused before swallowing the third bite-sized portion, then noted he couldn't speak properly with his mouth full and finished the act. "Obviously."

His appetite slacked when her whole body shifted comfortably and that all-knowing light burned through the mask on her face. Mothers would be mothers... Damn it. "I see..."

He set the cookies aside. For later... "And the significance behind my interest in a daily indulgence of yours would be...?"

Her fingertips caressed the sides of her cup, as though she were fond of a thought. "I am a female. Such is my nature."

... "How very sexist of you."

She blinked, a small frown settling in its natural place. "'Observant', or perhaps 'insightful', are far more appropriate terms."

He opened his mouth to protest.

"And if you even think about denying it, then you are a fool."

He shut his mouth. Briefly. "Am not."

Giving him a blank look of disbelief, she shoved the mute emotion aside and set her tea down. Such was a gesture which bore meaning only for her. "Sesshomaru, your lacking comprehension is far too exhausting for the both of us. First off, _yes, _you are _clearly _going to be starving after being with her for a night and _not _mating." She was almost arguing with him, eyes slit and meeting his own in a scornful manner. "Secondly, everyone expects this of you, so for the love of a kami would you _please_ abide by instinct to put everyone at ease on that level?" ... Ah, that was why he usually awoke to the smell of food of late... He was beginning to think that it was a dutiful way to bother him.

"Furthermore," she began anew, now getting interested in the subject and expressing as much with a more settled position, "upon this... '_freshly enhanced_' state of yours, I implore that you delicately throw your cousin out before you become overwhelmingly territorial. Your father was a nightmare, and never really could live a few actions down. The rambunctious idiot, throwing people into ponds and walls alike..."

Sesshomaru felt more cautious when his mother glowered at him all of a sudden, as though he were said rambunctious idiot back from the dead. "I will not have any of that here, so mind your manners, even when she happens to be conversing with a handsome young man."

... Hm. There really was no good reply to this (especially since the thought of Kagome staring into another man's eyes bothered Sesshomaru minutely). In fact, listening presently seemed quite promising.

"Tell me, when are you going to gather the nerve and ask her to stay?"

His shoulders tensed. Gather the nerve? She was insulting him. Truthfully, he _had_ already asked her, in various ways and on several occasions (the first time being shortly after Kagome's discovery of lords having consorts).

The confusing woman threw her hands away from the table and towards her shoulders, palms to him and swiveling at the wrists. She was flustered. "Do I have to engage you to her in order to see the two of you happy?"

That was crossing the line. His fingers twitched to beat some sense into the babbling bitch, though a surprised visit slipped through his stressed senses and past the doorway.

"Damn," Kagome muttered after looking through the room, as though in search of something. Her senses could not be that horrible, could they? She spared him a smile, oblivious to the conversation at hand, then stepped back outside, closed the door, and left.

She had smiled at him...

"And thusly, the ferocious and untamed temper of the great Sesshomaru is slaughtered in its tracks."

That's _right_, the rude wench was still there. Despite the crude wording, she was right. His mood had definitely improved.

Kagome really _did_ have a lovely smile though, especially when it was directed at him.

Facing forward once more, Sesshomaru noted that his mother was completely unimpressed. Her words emotionless save for her dislike for his terrain's temporary name. "Sesshomaru, I am bringing up the 'Central Domain' lord's marital status in the next council meeting."

He glared at her. "That is of no one's concern."

"It is everyone's concern," she countered angrily. "To the point that every servant comments of it daily. That is a fact not soon to change on the whim of your not liking it. After all, why else would your cousin even be here?"

Sesshomaru's mood was soured once again. Perhaps the servants would be more interested in other things should their high and mighty lady be beaten half to death with a tea cup and rendered blind for a week via sugared cookies.

"Admit it. At the very least to yourself," she continued. "Whether you like it or not, you are nearing your limit for waiting for her. Your father was bad enough with waiting one year, and you are breeching on five."

Rather than becoming absolutely infuriated, Sesshomaru was a little taken aback. A limit? Such things had limits? That was ridiculous.

"Though..." she pondered aloud, "it _has _been under a year for dealing with her actual physical presence. Perhaps I have been giving more credit th-"

There was a sudden spike of energy, and it was followed quickly by Kagome's. Sesshomaru bolted in her direction without a second thought.

* * *

Kagome was **not** amused.

"A miko is allowed to wander amongst our prestigious kind without proper penalty now?" some pompous bastard asked her with a smile on his face while gliding (hopping was more like it, but too crude a suggestion) off the covered walkway she had once been traveling. Right now Jia was pressed against the wall, where she had been shoved to, and Kagome was scrambling off her tush out of the foot deep snow and simply bristling with energy. Her skin hurt for how quickly she released it, and it felt far too tight within her, humming with the resonance of her attacker.

The man with bad facial hair approached her without hesitation in a seemingly slow stride known to royalty. His sword was still drawn, but as important as a tissue next to the waves of raging power. He lifted the blade back and across to his other side, readying a swing, and Kagome felt a barrier jump out of her skin to catch it. Though shocked by the last one and a half seconds, she began wishing she were armed, thinking on ways to attack using just her energy when she had no weapon to channel it through. There weren't many options. Most of her special attacks were either too big and flashy for Jia to be near, or too innate to incur consciously. And this was happening too quickly for her anger to harness her power usefully. Absurdly fast, yet not. Watching events go fast forward while hanging in a syrupy reality. It hard to grapple her thoughts.

The man didn't move, and yet there was pain. Reality throttling agony. It wrenched her head backwards in ecstasy for sensation, and her throat vibrated for a noise she couldn't hear. Her muscles clenched with a spasm. Her ears rung in silence. The snow melted to black before her staring eyes... Then she blinked and winced at the light of day.

Something moved under her clenched hands, and she held onto it in fear of falling over without the obvious support. Everything snapped back within perspective, leaving her head pulsing noisily. A lost strength was slowly seeping into her muscles again, steadying shaking limbs, and she recognized there being a foreign aura on her skin. It was very familiar, and she thought for a moment with flickering visual memories that she should be knelt and directing power into Bashamon's seal.

"So, there is meaning to her presence?" came a joyously intrigued masculine voice, and Kagome felt the still-mending world fall over without her as she lifted her head to see the man who tried to- to... to do _something_ to her. And what was he talking about?

"You test your authority here," Sesshomaru stated, and she could feel anger in him. Lots of it. She hoped it wasn't her fault, she couldn't really figure out what had just happened. Oh, and she found where her hands had gotten to. One had secured Sesshomaru's right shoulder, and the other was knotted in the fabric at the small of his back, which made her notice that he changed out of that kimono and back into his usual attire. Anyway, he provided excellent support, she had to give him that.

Groaning with frustration and an impeccable headache, Kagome scrambled for the facts and looked things over again. Okay, yes, she was up against Sesshomaru's back, so she wasn't lost in terms of where she was. Actually, feeling that he wouldn't want her hanging there like that, she tried to regain her feet. Numb, her legs didn't want to take her weight, and they felt willing to merge with the ground at any given opportunity. She settled for trying to hold him discretely with one hand, keeping it where it was on his lower back and hidden from the other guy's view. The action was harder than it looked.

"How does it feel to have a human wench hang on you?" the jackass inquired nonchalantly from ahead, grabbing her attention again. She peeked around a little more to see that Sesshomaru probably _was_ left handed, since Tenseiga was in that hand and holding up that asshole's sword, which was now stopped in mid-desce- Holy crap, it had descended?!

Her stomach did a just as she absorbed the fact that, yes, it _had_ been coming down. At her? Heh, stupid question. And to think, she hadn't even begun to stop it, aside from the barrier which meandered off somewhere when things suddenly got all fuzzy in every possible sense. What happened to it? Would it have protected her? The butterflies of doom wafting hyper actively in her torso said it wouldn't have, and that introduced a whole parade of feelings.

Kagome's sense of mortality twisted 'what-ifs' with her imagination. What if she could have kept herself together? What if she had attacked first? What if Sesshomaru hadn't been there? ... She felt drained, and wanted to kill that wannabe murderer all the times he was worth, which was probably a few hundred.

"A yōkai requires authority to do away with a miko?" the guy asked with a grin, his long fangs bearing themselves as he continued to press wight down onto his sword. "Such a demure expression of consideration towards her life, cousin. Surely this is not a Japanese flaw?"

Swords withdrew with a shrug-like gesture from Sesshomaru, throwing the other's weapon up and away, and Kagome gaped. Did he just call him cousin?! "You're _related_ to this _**jackass**_?!"

Said jackass was very taken aback and affronted by his new name. At seeing that expression she felt some splendid blood seep back into her, coursing with gall and ire.

"Indeed," Sesshomaru confirmed her question, in a way agreeing with the new title for his cousin. Her grip on him tightened, and she entertained the thought of being related to that guy through- Through something she didn't want to think about right now.

"Miko, this Léi Kueng will require a blood payment for the next improper word to escape that hole in your face."

Third person self reference. That was as good as any birth certificate. She gave Sesshomaru a bewildered look, which was unappreciated by him since the terrifying glare of 'all things bad done unto you' was presently being imparted on the cousin. "I think you should disown yourself from him," she offered lightly, looking away from his face so as to avoid directing that expression onto herself as he'd regard her. She did _not_ want him glaring at her like that, it would ruin her week. "The relationship can't be healthy for you."

"Ignorant canicula," the guy called her, ready to say more.

There was a blur, and Kagome wound up alone. Still standing but precariously balanced without Sesshomaru to hang on. Wondering where exactly the small of his back scampered off to, she looked around and saw- ... Well, uh, maybe it was her imagination, but she could almost swear that Sesshomaru was physically beating the daylights out of that guy.

"Hey!" Sheng barked, suddenly on the scene and becoming involved like any on queue actor or fatherly figure. It almost seemed like a play though. A practiced lie. Sesshomaru just couldn't do that. Not in front of her, right there and trying to yank his fist back from Sheng. Sure, slugging Inuyasha was one thing, everyone could use doing that at certain times, but this? It was awe worthy, in its own right, and was actually becoming quite comical rather than scary. Holy hell, Sesshomaru really _was_ acting the age he looked. It was thrilling, in a cruel and twisted way, but it just looked so wrong. Really, he could _do_ that?

"SESSHOMARU!!"

Kagome nearly fell onto her bottom at the sheer volume, and for some reason she felt like she was the only person who heard it. In a whisper of silks and youki, Sesshomaru's at-times-scary mother marched by, tromping through the snow like it were down feathers.

"Time to leave," came yet another unexpected voice, and Kagome was ready for a surprise-induced heart attack as Jia grabbed her arm and forcefully led her away.

"What was I just saying about you fighting!" bellowed Sesshomaru's mother, making Kagome shiver. Why on earth had they been talking about something like _that_? "ONE minute -just ONE, MINUTE!- and here I find you brawling like some commoner over bread!"

... Ouch.

Things slowed down as the two young women entered the o-shiro again, and Jia was fussing.

"The _nerve_ of him, attacking a lady in finery!" her voice wafted back into perspective. Kagome decided she was better off gone rather than becoming more involved. Leaving felt right. Dear lord, her reality was a jumble of events. Meats and potatoes all thrown together to simmer into something she hoped would turn out well. This particular event though was something she couldn't fully grasp, so rather than try and understand things she just resigned to being led away from the commotion, stewing over ideas.

"Really," Jia continued indignantly, "some people have no class."

That tugged a smile onto Kagome's face. "He's a yōkai, what do you expect?"

Jia whipped her face around to her reclaimed hostage. "Would you group me with him??"

"Oh!" Kagome startled. "No, I'm sorry, I- I'm sorry, really, I didn't mean it like that."

The adolescent looking servant stared a moment longer, then returned her eyes to ahead. "No, you probably have ample reasons to say that." Great, now they both felt bad. "He was ready to kill you though! Just like that!" and she snapped her fingers, looking like a high schooler.

"Speaking of 'that'," Kagome interjected, snapping her fingers as well in reference, "what happened? I, ah, kinda blacked out, or something like that."

Jia just nodded. "He had separated you from your power, which would have hurt since you were holding so much."

Pursing her lips, Kagome frowned at nothing. What Jia said made sense. The hard part was finding the fairness in it all.

"Do not worry yourself," Jia simpered, patting Kagome's hand effortlessly as it swung through the air in her walk. "I can guarantee that neither Sheng-sempai nor Sesshomaru-sama will let you sleep until you can protect yourself from such an attack."

Sempai? How cute. Still, learning something in a day seemed more troublesome than it was worth. In fact, it sounded absolutely dreadful. Maybe she could go to bed early, or just nap a while upon arriving at her room?

Kagome walked into something and it began pushing her back, a tad frantic and veering off for a closed room. It was Jia, but Kagome's narrowed eyes were fixed ahead.

"The miko is still amongst us?"

Jia's hands jerked calmly into the action of smoothing the front of Kagome's still perfectly arranged kimono, and after settling the score with an invisible flaw she turned and bowed slightly to the newcomer.

Kagome's manner of greeting was just a glare. She had an innate dislike for that gussied up woman.

"It seems my mate should take more care in aiming," Lady Léi commented blandly, giving Kagome the look over. "Not a scratch."

Jia visibly flinched, and Kagome felt like her jaw would drop if it weren't clenched in fury.

"My Lady Léi," Jia addressed the woman stiffly, formality plaguing her voice. Léi sounded like a surname. Considering the relations, was it one which Sesshomaru went by? Nah, it sounded funny. "We were-"

"I do not care," the 'lady' bit out, confusion shadowing her face. "Miko, why is it that even after bathing you smell of Sesshomaru?"

Kagome felt her back straighten. Whether it was from her rebellious streak deepening or the slight pride she felt for remembering who cared for her, she didn't know and didn't bother deducing. Both were good, and rooting for her.

Her body language must have spoken volumes, for the woman's eyes widened slightly and she stepped back. In fact, Kagome could have sworn that if she were human she'd have fainted.

"You must be jesting," was the comment.

"About?" Kagome inquired, and a blink later she found her fist in the air and the lady staggering backwards, holding her cheek.

Alriiiiiight...! Automatic reflexes. About time. She'd have to thank Keiji the next time she saw him. And she **would** see him again. She'd see all of them. Even if she did have to learn a trick or two and watch Sango's and Miroku's family tree grow.

"You little bitch!" screamed the possessor of a bad hairdo, and she leaped again with all shackles of etiquette undone.

"Please, stop!" Jia yelled through Kagome's thoughts of 'holy shit, she's faster than she looks'. Falling back, Kagome tried to drag Keiji back into her head, and refused to acknowledge wearing a kimono rather than hakama. Dammit, she wanted more of those.

Some attacks were dealt and blocked before a gap naturally occurred between them. "Did he teach you?" the richly adorned lady asked softly in a taunting way. She offered a few more jabs, backing off after six of them, and she looked Kagome over judgmentally, then came forward with claws poised.

Doing the most logical thing possible at the moment, Kagome shoved her hands into the other woman's and locked them, holding her away. Push went to shove, and Kagome soon needed to channel energy into some areas of her arms to add to her strength.

This impressed the lady. "Well met, for a miko. Just tell me who taught you this, and I will have them beheaded for betrayal."

Kagome was shocked, and as her energy faltered in wake of the emotion she shot it at the unbearable woman to purify her a bit. Aside from rubbing her hands together though, lady Léi wasn't very affected. Dammit, if she could just have a weapon of some sort!

"Was it Sesshomaru?" she asked, holding her hand in an interesting manner. "Did he find some worth in you? Perhaps Sheng, he seems to be the type."

Alarmed and imagining death sentences while watching her opponents fingers, Kagome set a barrier. Something collided into it briefly.

"You are tainted," the woman seethed, a whip-like cord of energy drawing back into her fingers as she gave a humored hum. "You do not genuinely believe that you are capable of learning a yōkai's ways without costs, correct?" She licked their clawed tips, and hummed. "It's delicious..."

Kagome shivered. What, exactly, did she just taste? Anything? Was this a mind game to keep her from performing at her best? Well, it wouldn't work. She'd make sure of that, even if a threat was needed. Or a bluff. A bluff would be excellent. She took a long, twin toothed comb from her hair, and was ready to threaten shooting it at the woman.

"Ah... It tastes like young Sesshomaru." Her dull fangs glinted in a light of their own. "Quite the sin."

Kagome was utterly shocked, and something swelled inside of her. "Shut up."

Blinking and smiling, she didn't. "Would you drag his future through the mud to satisfy yourself?"

Kagome balled her fists, feeling the comb bend slightly.

"You would," the wench confirmed easily. "And you would do it to be a bed warmer and to whelp hanyō."

"Shut. Up."

Enjoying herself, the 'lady' smacked more of Kagome's buttons, angering her. "All while thinking that someone with so much potential could ever fall in love with _you_."

Kagome didn't feel the comb in her hand anymore, and there was a shriek.

* * *

**A/N:** Dun-dun-dun... :)

Not as long as three months of not updating should make it... :( Sorry about that. And sorry in advance for any possible grammatical/spelling errors, I'll get back to them when the story's not so fresh to me. :D

Also, if anyone wants to read up on a news flash/rant thing, you're more than welcome to look at the update on my account. Other than that, I hope this chapter was better. :)

As always, thanks for reading! :D Write your thoughts in a review, please!

~AD


	7. It's Another

**A/N:** What _did_ Kagome do with that comb? :D Enjoy!

P.S. The title's sort of a continuation from the last chapter's. :3 In case you're wondering.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**... It's Another**

Since Sesshomaru was busy verbally grappling with his mother in the snow, with the forgotten cousin looking in shock at his own blood as it came easily from his nose, Sheng thought that going to check on Kagome would be a better use of his time. So far, he was right.

After a pause to glance at Chiro as she was organizing things in the visiting lord's and lady's quarters, he strolled further down the hall and had arrived to witness Kagome throwing a decorative hairpiece at the Lady Léi's chest, who shied and shrieked in horror for some odd yet nevertheless amusing reason. Why some women preferred screaming and shielding over fighting was beyond Sheng.

Whatever had transpired between them, it left the miko very flustered, and sent her marching down the hall for Sheng while the delicate, twin fingered decoration was still clattering to a stop at Lady Lé's robe covered feet.

"Shall we?" Kagome asked him delightfully through her teeth before grabbing his sleeve, her pace not slowing. He glimpsed Lady Léi's anger as she got over her excitement and glared past her shoulder, then his feet moved to follow before Kagome yanked him back into a stumbling predicament.

Nothing much happened between then and having Jia serve them some sake later in Sheng's quarters (which happened to be exactly where most of the sake was currently focused).

Sheng tickled his small cup thoughtfully, his fingers feeling warm despite the room temperature of the liquid. It must have been Kagome's locked gaze. For some inexplicit reason, she found his nails to be a fascinating focus for her thought-fogged eyes, no matter how often he tapped the ceramic for distraction. "Something on your mind?"

Kagome blinked, flickered her gaze from his over to Jia, then looked in the complete opposite direction and tilted her cheek slightly to him, lips pursed in trouble.

"Jia," he addressed with a smile. A human's body language was so easy to read that they couldn't help but to look innocent most of the time. "Would you mind calling on little Li Hua's select guards for this discussion?"

The young servant nodded, a small grin on her face, and then rose and left while bowing at the same time before closing the door with a tap. What she found to be funny, or perhaps promising, was not imparting itself upon Sheng, so he got to settle down, pour another cup, and wait for the conversation to start as Kagome bit her lip and began tipping short rounds of sake to her lips.

It was about three minutes into the silence, which was permeated by the miko's fidgeting and random gulping of alcohol, when she breathed heavily in slow succession, shook her head at a passing thought, and looked at Sheng. His anticipation was almost lethal at this point.

"Remember when we first met, you tormented me by requesting to hear my whole life's story?"

He nodded. "Yes. I still look forward to seeing one of those Ferris wheels, too."

A sheepish grin blanketed her face, and then slipped off. "Well, I'm going to make you pay me back now with a 'story' of your own," she began, bending a finger from each hand at the word 'story', which had been emphasized in a quirky fashion.

A very small part of Sheng was alarmed, mostly because of the way she said that, but he swallowed his sake and set it down. "If I recall correctly, which I do, you were absolutely mortified at the thought of my telling you my life story."

She snorted. "Yeah, because I'd be getting gray hair by the end of it." She eyed her cup, and then grabbed it and turned it upside-down, of all things. Maybe to discourage further use. "I do plan on this taking a while though."

For some reason, she stopped talking there, making him wonder just what kind of story she was looking for. He had many, and then many more which would send her blushing madly right out of the room. The latter could explain her brief will to getting tipsy... "Alright," he filled in.

Satisfied, she bobbed her head, took another breath, and broke their eye contact. "I, ah…" He was hoping that this wasn't the long part… "Um. Oooh! I don't want to be ignorant anymore!"

Blinking with surprise, thanks to his previous thoughts of sending her blushing out of the room, the corners of his lips twitched. That was just his thought process playing tricks. Wondering why she was yelling, Sheng waited for more.

"I-! Oye… I don't know. That's the whole, huge, fricken problem. I don't know!"

Damn. This was probably, indeed, the long part. "Don't kno-o-ow…?" he prompted for completion.

Some hair was tucked behind her ear. Some thoughts analyzed against the ceiling. Continents drifted. Then she answered. "Anything."

"Anything," he repeated.

Sighing, as though he were making this difficult, he began receiving waves of embarrassment as they washed off her. The emotion was raw enough to tickle his nose, like that European pepper.

"You want me to enlighten you on something?" he suggested, looking forward to a possible sneeze. It had been centuries since his last one, and he quite enjoyed them.

"Yeah," she replied through an exhale, shoulders loosening. "A lot of things. I just don't know where to start."

That was something she needed to deal with, so he refilled his cup and sipped the silence away, brushed with a silly sense of loss for a completely faded sneeze.

"Okay," she whispered, sounding decisive. "To put it simply, I want to understand yōkai. As in, what your thoughts are based on, your culture, certain… Ah, customs."

"Mating?" he suggested, humored.

A pretty little flush filled her skin. "Yes. I'd ask Sesshomaru, but he seems a little strung out right now, and you're just pretty easy to talk to."

As far as he had gathered, Kagome already heard an explanation on mating. From Sesshomaru's mother, of all the hilarious sources. He was certain that it hadn't lasted hours though, so Kagome was, most likely, delving for detail now.

The light footsteps of about four guards settled outside the door, two of them moving in opposite directions away to flank the walls. Kagome didn't seem to notice them.

"I feel at a really big disadvantage," she jumped onward. "Not just with strength in general, or the senses, but, you know… I don't really _fit_ in here, and it's uncomfortable."

Sheng laced his fingers, and settled his forearms onto the table, the act leaning him forward a little. "You do realize that, though information can help, things will only get better with time and experience. Correct?"

A humbled mood saturated her features, and she smiled a little while lifting and dropping her chin once.

He mimicked the expression and gesture, and sat back. "Good. By all means, start asking questions."

* * *

He should have just killed his cousin... After all, deaths were easier dealt with than attempted murders, since a corpse could not speak and thusly stir politics into a frenzy.

At least, that's what Sesshomaru kept thinking while walking the o-shiro. It had been a while since he last did a patrol of his private land, looking things over and making sure no one and nothing were as they shouldn't. So far, it was as dull and uneventful as ever.

Kueng had opted to leave after the night, seeing as Sesshomaru still felt there was some meat to tear between them. His cousin's wench had scoffed upon overhearing Kueng's decision, but made no other response. Sesshomaru had scented Kagome on the woman, and left their presence for his mother to juggle in favor of seeing how his intended was fairing. By the looks of the deaf and mute guards, who reminded Sesshomaru of a long silent conversation with Lady Feng, it seemed that Kagome wanted a very private audience with Sheng, in his quarters, which bothered Sesshomaru about as much as the smell of fresh sake did.

Why the analyzed scene irked him, he didn't know, but he now found himself oddly jealous and ready for murder. Just what, exactly, could be so secret that even he was not allowed to overhear? Certainly, he could have walked over and opened the door to blatantly listen, but that would require four dead bodies of his mother's hell-bent-on-obedience guards. So, begrudgingly, he left.

This was, as he saw things, not appropriate. Kagome was beginning to pull authority through the fact that everyone knew he was seeking her, and that was not supposed to happen. In fact, it was very rude, and the servants would soon begin to second guess whose request came first in fulfilling.

He forced into himself a deep breath, and seethed it out while stepping off the wooden walkway to wander through the thawing grounds. He wasn't really mad at Kagome. It was his pent up emotions looking for release, nothing else. He knew she wouldn't tolerate a 'this is where you stand' conversation, something which sounded enjoyable to give, but it would be hard to phrase that one delicately anyway so he avoided the thought. Besides, everyone knew that exposure and time were the best lessons. She would learn. It was just taking a little while. Still, was he just going to stand back and accept it? Let her do as she pleased? Well, it seemed that having the one security force which didn't obey him (didn't mind proving as much) happily guard her and Sheng off was _very_ pleasing, and that…

His breath was forceful, and the sound of it in his ears reminded him to rein himself in. Do as she pleased? It sounded fair, with her being a guest more than anything else, but there were uncheck limits. They were not mated, so she should not have permission to exercise the authority that she did, whether she saw it as requests or not.

Then again, she was ignorant. For her, requests were never orders, but obedience was still given. And he was overlooking Sheng, who would have easily been heeded should he ask for a fraction of the guards. Then again, why would he? Why would Kagome be in a protected conversation, in Sheng's quarters? And why was it now lasting for more than an hour?

Sesshomaru's pace was a little fast, and the humming of the barrier greeted his sensitive ears as he neared it. He stared past the calm swirls of youki at the roiling clouds, which hid the base and sometimes the sides of the flying castle. Seeing as no one was seeking them out with malicious intent, the cloud was left to be thin, and not thirty feet or more overhead.

Really, he should not have to deal with this. Questioning the actions of both his future mate and a most trusted counsel member always promised displeasure. But he was displeased already, so that did not seem worthy of worry. Still, he was at least bothered, and being bothered was vexing.

"_You are nearing your limit..."_ came his mother's voice from earlier, flashing through his memories.

Listening to the frustrated growl dragging out of him, he tried to just push everything aside. Kagome was not in the position to understand these things, and he shouldn't hold her accountable for them.

_Like she did to me for having a concubine._

He loosened his fists. Sesshomaru was not this immature. He refused to be. Her lack of comprehension had led to months of slow recovery, and he was not about to turn around and repeat it.

That didn't help to keep the anger from roiling like the nearby clouds as it sought its source and for a means to vent. Beating his cousin hadn't helped, much. In fact, Sesshomaru was feeling worse. Aghast over suddenly visible restraints which used to be his rights. He did not understand the why of present things, and that was a problem in and of itself. Maybe this downward spiral of events was his fault. Maybe he was doing something wrong.

Someone appeared at the outskirts of his senses, and he turned to continue along the barrier, catching a figure in his peripheral. It wasn't male, so he took a glance before training his eyes ahead and continuing his stroll.

"Lord Sesshomaru..." came a lost voice, hollow with abandonment yet light with recognition. He should not feel bad about the weight in her tone, it was not his doing. It was Kagome's. Which was odd, thinking of it like that. Maybe she had been exercising power not only over the servants? That sent his hands into fists again.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she repeated, sounding more firm. He heard her stepping onto crunchy snow to follow him, and wondered if she had been stalking the more muddy bits of exposed grass to get that close in the first place. "Please, wait?"

"No," he bit out, emotions boiling. This was a bigger mess than he realized. _He_ was a bigger mess than he realized. Despicable. No wonder his cousin held limited respect for him.

Chiro wavered in her path, but continued following cautiously and meekly after him. "Forgive me. I merely wished to say hello."

He ignored her, wondering if servants were peeking through hair width slits in doors. If they thought he was interested in Chiro, it would be a matter of minutes before Kagome knew. ... This was not how he should be living. After all, they were at least eighty feet from the nearest building, and the senses of servants were not as sharp as someone's of higher status.

"You seem bothered," she commented, staying a good six feet back and studying him.

His breath was somewhat heavy. This time he ignored it, and remained silent and on course. As soon as Kagome was done talking with Sheng, he would go see her. Kueng had attacked her honor excessively, and Sesshomaru now wanted to see how she was feeling about having that scenario over being unquestionably stuck in the past. She could be very sensitive to certain things, and seeing her would do his mood some much needed good. Maybe.

Hesitation was shadowing Chiro, loud in her slightly quick movements, in her short breath. That was about as much as he could pick up from her, seeing as she was downwind and to his back. At those odds, she could read him better than he could her, which did not improve his mood.

"You're hurting."

Nope. Did not improve it at all. "Attend to your duties," he ordered automatically, hearing his voice in its familiar neutral authority. When her footsteps continued following him, he stopped and turned halfway. Some people needed an expression to be persuaded to leave him alone.

She faltered to a stop, hands together and to her chest as though willing herself to not run away. She had a horrible look on her face. "You are."

It was pity.

He should not have to deal with this. "Leave."

Her legs visibly stiffened, denying his order. "What did she do?"

His fingers twitched on their own, and she glanced at them with worry.

"Do as you are told, and leave me be."

Chiro's face tightened, trying to hold in emotions. Good. "Those orders are not yours, are they?"

He glared, but was a tad off guard. Of course they were his, who else would- … She was referring to Kagome?

"Lord Sesshomaru, would you like to talk?" Chiro asked, looking sad now. "We could always talk."

Furious, he took a step towards her. How dare she defy him? How dare she even speak to him? She knew what she had done. She needed to learn to leave him alone.

Fear bolted through her, and dropping to her knees submissively, Chiro put her face centimeters from the snowy patch in a practiced show of demure inferiority. "I'm sorry, My Lord!"

He stopped. With her actions being performed right then and there he was forced to acknowledge them. Suddenly uncomfortable, he looked away. The damage had been done though, and an emotion flaked up from its beaten position in his subconscious, warming his mood. It had been a very long time since someone demonstrated their weakness openly to him, and the protective instincts wanted to kindle into awareness. Wanted to reassure her that she could stay and serve him, that she was still accepted. It was stronger since the last time, which was ages ago. Not only was he older, and nearing the age when he would inherit full authority from his aggravating mother, but he'd also been pursuing Kagome as a mate. He knew those two factors stimulated the urge to become something more than he was. More than he, logically, was prepared to really handle.

Even without that, he couldn't accept Chiro's display, because there were consequences.

Sesshomaru turned and left her there, and a hollow emptiness carved into him, almost painful after being exposed to the opposite and losing it.

He should not have to deal with this...

* * *

Kagome's head hurt, but it was a dull throbbing now, going down with the sun. Yōkai were complicated, confusing, and irrational beings, and the ones she was dealing with just _had_ to be **dogs**. Cats would have been easier. They were superior to anything, loved you for what you offered, and killed you for fun if you were smaller than they were. But dogs… Their psychology was an instinct driven mess. If Sesshomaru _ever_ gave her crap for being a female, she was throwing his species right back at him.

And now she sighed, surrendering herself to her bed with an 'elegant' flop. Limbs sprawled comfortably and thoughts racing, she decided that the room was warm enough to stay above the blankets, and dragged her makeshift pillow over. Sure, they did have pillows in the past, but they were the most horrid things she'd ever come across; thin wooden blocks with a rolled fabric as thick as her wrist was _not_ comfortable, though seemingly accepted by everyone she laid eyes on. Even bundled up hay would be better than what they had, no matter how pretty they were. By the looks of it, Sesshomaru just didn't prefer pillows, though he did seem to enjoy the one in the guest room at her home.

"Sleeeep," she slurred like any professional zombie, turning her left cheek to the folded fabric and relaxing, hoping the headache would resolve itself by the morning. It was an odd headache, and unsettled her ever so slightly. "Gooood sleeeeep..."

Minutes passed, and the only thing keeping her from slipping off was her train of thought. It held her suspended above the foggy pool of unconsciousness, and its gray swirling promised some good dreams as it ran like a cloud through her muscles, numbing them from her mind and allowing it to focus solely on the new information.

Her conference with Sheng lasted the whole darn day, interrupted for food and use of the 'facilities', both on her part. It was well worth it though. Her questions started off simple enough, and he answered them with stories and examples galore, which was probably why it had taken so long now that she thought about it. A lot of the things he said though kept her laughing, so the day wasn't a boring fact-fest. Besides, Sesshomaru said he'd be in meetings -or at least that's what she related them to- all day. Despite the fight, a schedule was a schedule. What else was she supposed to do? Sit like a good little rock?

Groaning, she snuggled into herself, reviving her muscles and making them whine with odd reflexes, and finally decided to wriggle under the thick coverlet. Settled anew, with warmth all around her, her mind rested.

And then it began wondering how she'd think about all the things Sesshomaru did from that point on. The meanings of every action were magnified now. Words held more power. Even scenarios which didn't involve her could reflect on her mere presence, which Sheng related the day's big brawl to, and that was horrifying. Still, it all explained too many things. Even, if she thought really hard to remember, some little scenes from four years and some odd months ago.

Flashbacks flickered to life, putting situations in a different light. It made her groan with a stomach twisting embarrassment, and she pressed her face forcefully into her pillow briefly. If she thought that Sheng's pointing out that a yōkai's nose could pick up emotions was as mortifying as being seen making out with the skeleton in your closet, then this… This was a reality TV stunt gone horribly well for the producers, then for the media.

Dusting the mental images away, she snuggled her 'pillow' and waited for the next thought to settle into awareness.

Apparently, Sesshomaru started taking interest in her _**years**_ ago.

She giggled nervously, her gut clenching lightly as a means to anchor her abruptly soaring spirits. Sleepiness ebbed for the moment in light of the thought. Did he really? It didn't seem like it. Then again, she had probably begun to fall for him then, too. That would explain the little giggle she wanted to give when he had undone her obi knot for her. That was so long ago… Had he enjoyed it? … If anything, he'd probably enjoyed her lack of decency when she jumped out of the bath at the feel of the Shikon no Tama approaching.

Her feet rubbed one another under the blanket, and she hummed, cheeks pink but overall liking this. Apparently, even the fact that he had listened to her rant at the carnival showed he respected her a lot, and he hadn't even liked her! Or at least, he did _really_ well in not showing it. Then again, the meaning was probably subconscious to him as well, since Sheng said most instincts come and go like breathing and heartbeats, just as heeded. On the other hand, he should have regardless, seeing as she had hosted him at her place, treated him to the carnival, _and_ had gotten dressed up to avoid looking odd with him. Not that she expected things from Sesshomaru... She enjoyed what he offered freely anyway.

Kagome stilled for a little while, thinking. Alright, she had to admit, she did have a few expectations, such as he not see other women if his intent was to court her.

"_I cannot spend the rest of my days with a broken woman at my side."_

"Hmm..." she hummed with a huge smile, thinking. She'd never forget those words. Ever. She wished he never saw her as being 'broken', no matter how traumatized she had been. The jerk had been unofficially courting her, and bedding a woman on the side?

That still upset her when she thought about it, but Kagome sobered and scrambled for something else to occupy her mind.

Where was Sesshomaru, anyway? She half expected that he'd seek her out by now…

Her curiosity peaked for half a second, then got washed away. He was wherever he wanted to be, or had to be, and she was tired. Damn, Sheng could really talk when he got into it. His making her tell him her life story had placed him to be more of a listening man in her views, but apparently he was flexible.

Images of the fight flickered, and she wondered how that one turned out. Sheng had said that men righteously defend the honor of those they care about, and it turned out that Kueng had delved artistically into some Latin to call her a bitch. Was that what had snapped Sesshomaru's patience? Quite frankly, though it peeved her to know what the ass had called her, hearing Latin for a while seemed quite poetic, even in cursing. Sesshomaru liked languages. He even related them to power while sharing with her that he'd been studying English. Maybe he spoke Latin? … French seemed a little harder to imagine, but nothing was impossible. Italian would be interesting. Well, now she had a good conversation starter the next time she needed one.

Then again, people always learn the curse words first, so it wouldn't surprise her if he didn't speak any of them…

But really, had he attacked his cousin over something little like that? Dear lord, she was being presumptuous. It felt good, she couldn't deny that, but it also irritated her a little. Really, fighting was stupid and a waste of time, but being protected so vigorously... It was enough to make her shudder happily. Li Hua was right. She said he'd protect her, and her children if such were the case. If Kagome remembered correctly, the woman said he'd protect her with his very life if need be.

Feeling warm, Kagome curled up a little more and smiled lazily, feeling her emotions wrap themselves around that warmth. Cradling it like a helpless infant needing nourishment, and holding it close to her heart. It felt good, and the relaxation it induced whispered through her.

…

Waking up alone was extremely disappointing, but Kagome ignored the emotion. She quickly brushed her teeth, running low on toothpaste, ate some snow from outside and scrubbed her face with some more, brushed her hair with her fingers, and then flossed her teeth with the strands she tugged loose. Hey, it was the closest thing to floss she was getting to, so she couldn't complain much.

Felling as ready as possible, she straightened her clothes, knowing they were going to remain crooked for having slept in them, and left the room. She wanted to go and greet Sesshomaru, wondering how his night was, and looked for him by scanning the place for his energy. Then frowned. His location wasn't being obvious.

"Hum," she commented to herself, walking in the direction of Jia, the closest person she recognized. After exchanging morning courtesies, Kagome asked if she knew where Sesshomaru was.

The young woman's brow furrowed, an unexpected expression, then looked around as though she could see through walls. "I have not seen him for a time. He may have left."

"Oh," Kagome replied, wondering why. That odd feeling from last night stirred, without the headache, and then subsided. "For any reason you can think of?"

She shrugged, still helping another servant in folding a huge obi. Apparently, it was laundry day. Quite a few servants were in pairs, and each group was designated a pile of clothes, most of them looking like they just belonged to the servants. There were children off in a good quarter of the fairly large room, playing with and trying to fold less colorful fabrics belonging to them and their parents.

"Do not worry yourself," Jia reassured with a smile. "He does this because he bears a lot of responsibility."

Kagome smiled, feeling her chest light for some reason. Really, no need to throw a hissy fit. He was out. So what? "True."

The day was busy, for everyone except Kagome, and she was quickly bored. The children wouldn't be able to play yōkai-soccer, seeing as they were busy. If Kagome was desperate, she could offer to watch the babies, but that was better avoided.

"Hm," she breathed, relaxed and not very entertained in her bath. There were three women attending her, as usual, but Jia was somewhere else. It was the middle of the day now, but why not, she could still be folding clothes. She offered her help before leaving, but in all practicality, she didn't know how to fold kimono. Or obi. Or most anything they were working on. There was a system they all knew, and she wasn't in the mood to learn it anyway.

The women tending to Kagome were strangers, yet knew what to do, keeping themselves busy in the bath room. It was odd to be waited on hand and foot, but it was also a nice treat which they refused to not give. Kagome never got to bathe in private at the o-shiro. It was as though they saw it as dishonoring her if she was left to scrub her own darn toes.

"Would you like more hot water?" one of them asked politely, and Kagome peered through a cracked eyelid. It was the woman with green eyes.

"Sure," she agreed, knowing that if she denied, the steam of being on the burner would fog up the air a lot. She enjoyed hot baths anyway.

A bucket was dipped into her tub to remove some lukewarm water before adding more, a fantastic idea she would have overlooked, and she squeezed to the side to avoid the liquid cloud of heat before it had a chance to be stirred in with a paddle-like stick the size of a big, wooden, salad serving spoon.

"Would you like an oil today?"

"No, thanks," Kagome replied, testing the water with her hip before easing into it. It was fantastic.

"Have you eaten, my lady?"

The girl with brown eyes was cute, looking quite new at this. The other two servants shifted, apparently forgetting that Kagome's being human made her hungry at least three times a day.

"No," Kagome admitted, ready to say that she didn't need to eat. The girl bobbed her head though, short cropped hair swishing, and she was gone almost instantaneously to get food.

A bath and breakfast were always splendid for any day, but now that Kagome was ready, she had nothing to be ready _for_. Where was Sesshomaru, anyway? Maybe at the well? He said he'd have it fixed. How, though, she hadn't a clue, but he said it so it must be possible. Or did he say he'd _try_? … If he jumped into it, she was going to have an argument with him. That is, if she still existed to have an argument with him. Time was tricky like that.

"Are you bored?" Jia asked later on.

The question startled Kagome out of her training stance. Even when wearing hakama and a haori, it was still hard to keep your balance with a sword in hand and with bumpy, packed-into-ice snow underfoot. The five minute long routine was now extremely interrupted, so she sheathed the blade and sighed, sweating in the shade which was typically that spot and kept it icy.

Still nothing from Sesshomaru. Couldn't hurt to ask for an update. "Is he still gone?"

Jia nodded, and Kagome shuffled her feet, bored out of her mind. This was one reason she was disinclined to even consider living there. Visiting was good enough, for now. Maybe she should take the initiative to leave though, seeing as nothing good was coming of being there. Hell, why stay if other houseguests want you dead?

Stepping into the light, a glance at the sun revealed the time. Quite a bit past noon. Sango would be cooking for her family soon, seeing as they ate two times a day in the winter. She really did have quite the culinary skills, seeing as she was the only female in the home most of the time while growing up, and therefore the one to feed her father and brother. Kagome would just bring a lot of 'future delights' while they were shard hunting, and it became the norm to cut out the need for a big cooking pot, so Sango didn't really get to shine until after Naraku's death, when she married.

After talking a little while, Jia left and then brought Kagome a pitcher of water and a cup to drink it from, keeping them both in the sun to prevent freezing. Kagome continued with what she was doing, hoping for sore muscles. At least they'd give her something to mutter and complain over later on.

After two minutes, something was really nagging at her. It was distracting and completely unneeded. It wasn't until she stopped for a craved drink of water that she saw someone watching from the shadows of an opened door. For resilient yōkai, the cool weather was excellent for airing out winter stuffed rooms.

She stiffened, looking for features which would identify the unfriendly lord and lady, but soon recognized the man. He was- ... Um, he was-erm... Dammit, his name was so simple to reme- LE! It was Le, a member of the council. … What the hell was _he_ doing there?

"Hey," she greeted, pouring a glass and drinking almost greedily. It tasted so good...

"If you plan to continue with your training, it is common sense to not do so with a bloated sack of liquid in your midriff."

She lowered her glass to glare at the guy over its ceramic rim, then finished it off. "It's not a life or death situation."

Bending to set the glass down, something felt wrong. She didn't even bother to keep holding the container, and jumped back a good distance.

"It can be," Le commented from three feet away, the glass now balancing on the flat of his sword. Holy crap... It slid down the blade, landed happily where she had aimed to put it, and he turned to her, looking really irritated. "That was a pathetic stunt you pulled yesterday."

She bristled, but stepped back to a more comfortable four feet from him. "Hey, I didn't start it," she defended, now thinking that five feet was healthier. "That bastard-"

"Made an attempt on your life," Le stated a cold hard fact, and she watched him like he were a snake. His eyes, a really warm, dark gold, flickered to her hand, and he smirked evilly. "Seize your sword, and I will sever it from you via your wrist."

Realizing only now she had been reaching for it, Kagome took the hint and let her hand drop. Dammit... At least she had her energy.

Considering what to do, she blinked, and flinched when the scenery changed without warning. There was a sword in front of her face, and a hard expression on the other side of it.

Shrieking, she tried to fall back, and simply fell. The blade followed her, and she found herself looking up its perfectly rendered design, starting at the tip, and going to the wrapped hilt and iron grasp. Not good...

Le harrumphed, and the sword left her personal space. "Get up."

"I prefer sitting, thanks," she snipped, hoping it was a part of his code of honor to not kill a woman while she was down. Hell, she hoped he _had _a code of honor. Double hell, she hoped he gave a damn about miko.

"Then I will spare young Lord Sesshomaru the shame of knowing one so weak."

Temper ignited, she stubbornly found her feet, and decided to just will his toy sword away from him for the rest of the evening until he proved to be a good little boy. Within a fraction of time she had holy power coursing though her, lighting her blood and seeping into her muscles slowly like heat from bath water. It was there, whole and alive. And then it was gone, and her ears were ringing.

"AAAAGH!!" she cried, grabbing her head as things shook and her senses overloaded. Something scratched her throat, and she lashed out an arm to stop it, hitting nothing.

Something released. The floodgate opened. Kagome shivered as her energy gradually came back, dull and almost ashamed. Le was staring at her, and she was holding onto a support beam, which ran from the edge of the walk up to the roof. Not again... Why was everyone exploring this new trick all of a sudden?

"Dammit!" she yelled at him, touching her sore throat and feeling it wet. Surprised, she took her fingers back and looked at them, seeing a glimmering red. Nervous, she put her whole palm to the place which felt like a scratch, and her sweat came off to bathe in the opening like a true sinner into holy water, burning. Taking her hand back, she saw multiple lines drawn lazily in blood across the grooves of her palm, and counted. Six. There were six. Experimentally scratching a nail lightly up from the base of her neck, it caught on skin several times, confirming scratches.

"Seven decapitations," Le began, slicing the snow once as a quick means to clean the blade, "for the price of wetting your eyes."

Kagome grabbed her throat, wondering if her head would slide off. It never did, and she forced a shaky breath through a nervously clenched esophagus, then another.

"How dramatic," the older yōkai commented.

Kagome couldn't help but think that Sesshomaru was going to rip Le a new one, but she pushed the thought aside. Sesshomaru wasn't there to really give a darn right now, anyway.

"On your feet," Le ordered in a suddenly lighthearted way, his blade disappearing as it spun like a baton to stop completely clean of any snow or moisture. "This time be ready, or I shall cut more deeply."

In the time it took for Kagome's heart to miss a beat, the implosion and sapped strength echoed in her, and then exploded back, leaving her sitting mostly on the snow and holding the lip of the walkway. Her throat hurt more, and panic coursed through her.

"I can die," she warned him without thinking, mortified.

"Good," he replied calmly, barely slicing some snow again and spinning the sword in a complex gesture. "Then you will learn more quickly."

Kagome fumbled her hands behind herself, feeling as she moved back and onto the walkway. Right now, her energy was weak, having been stripped from her twice, and a solid doubt in its usefulness fell like lead into her stomach. He was too fast for her sword, and he knew how to disarm her being a miko. "You're joking."

The sun splashed scenery disappeared for an instant, dropping her into a darkness filled with a ringing, hollow pain, like her bones were struck bells. Then her vision was completely back, some hot little stars dancing at the edges of her sight, and she was left with a headache and a sight of the walkway's ceiling. And of Le, who was looking down at her from not too far away as she lay on her back.

Kagome screamed and lifted a knee instinctively, but seeing as her calves were hanging off the edge of the walkway and he was standing between her knees, the action didn't do a whole hell of a lot of good…

She heard the simultaneous thud of her elbows smacking against the same thin wooden floorboard her head lay on before feeling the pain, and inside she was shrieking.

"There are things worse than death, you know," Le almost commented, perfectly fine with having her pinned in an ancient 'bad' position that sent her muscles quivering for action and her mind scrambling. "If you plan on becoming Sesshomaru's mate, then you sure as hell better expect the worse to come."

Her energy swelled on its own, and again was ripped from her consciousness, leaving her in a soul wrenching agony. This time her vision remained off, no matter how hard she stared up for the ceiling, and her arms and legs didn't have it in them to shake anymore.

"Kagome!" came Jia's pretty voice, and sharp little smacks soon hit her cheeks.

"I'm here," she said, a little hollow. Damn, she was tired. Some clouds were coming across the black canvas, pin pricked by stars, and as they continued to form Kagome realized that it was her vision sharpening. "… I'm here."

"How many eyes to I have?" Jia asked, and Kagome frowned, not really able to see them yet.

"Two."

"Okay," Jia confirmed, sniffing the air. "Can you sit up?"

"U-huh," Kagome replied, blinking and not doing much else. "After a nap?"

"It smells like Lord Le was here," Jia commented, making Kagome's reality spin as she was forced to sit up.

Her body felt like it was moving through water, and her mind like it was a buoy in it. Feeling that beam rub her shoulder, Kagome leaned heavily into it, not trusting her spine. Damn, she was sapped. How weird was that? At least now she could see very blurred shapes. Her heart hurt, beating oddly. "Yeah, because he was."

"He was?!" the girl chirped, and then Kagome felt warm fingers on the cuts on her neck, and she flinched. "Did he do this?"

"Yeah." Feeling sick now as some double vision was resolving itself. She'd had her tonsils removed before, and waking up from that was starting to feel similar to this. Just the slow, sluggish recovery time. The drug had taken five minutes or more to resolve though. So far, this was taking fifteen seconds.

Energy flickering like a candle in a hurricane, Kagome focused on it, and willed more power into her. For some reason, her limbs shook again, and her heart raced steadily, despite the fact that she only had enough in her grasp to feel others out, which would do.

As soon as she found her footing again, she was going over to Le and having a chat with him.

* * *

**A/N:** So, did the comb thing surprise you? XD Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry it took a while to update again. Things are going a lot better, and I've been rediscovering fun, time consuming hobbies. Writing hasn't been the most popular though, sorry! :(

In reference to the chapter, yes, there's a little twist here with Sesshy, but I promise to keep it small and not drag you along like I did in the end of MD. Not to say that it's unimportant and a waste of chapter space. Anyway, we'll see what comes of it.

And I'm thinking that quite a few people are going to erupt over Chiro's appearances and actions, but I guess I won't know until such is voiced. Er, typed.

Also, the re-entry of a long at peace character, Le! When I first wrote him in, I was actually thinking he'd be more popular (tenfold…) than Sheng. I know, 'what was _she_ thinking,' but this isn't the first story that's had characters take charge of their own fates. It tends to render great results, anyway. :D

Speaking of Sheng, I was going to write out his and Kagome's conversation, but it really wasn't working out the way I'd hoped, so expect Kagome to refer to that.

Oh, and here's a news flash! I have a plot developed for a new story! A fun story. I hope it's an original idea, too. My friend (and persistent non-reader, hehe) says that she thinks it is original, which I find to be reassuring since she's digging through both and all the time for the best stories to read. So, I'll be updating the first chapter of that story along with the last chapter of this one! -gasp- Can you believe it? The **last** chapter… Oh, this glorious nightmare can rest soon! (joking. … About the 'soon'. Dear lord, any bets one that one?)

Oh, and speaking of mediaminer, I'm sorry to everyone reading this from that site, for the last chapter if nothing else. Apparently, the formatting is 'skitzing' out a little, and so I've gotten some duo-site-readers coming into their fanfiction accounts to read this story. Again, sorry for the trouble, I hope it clears up.

As always, review, please, and thanks for reading! :) I'll keep trying to update sooner.

~AD


	8. I Don't Know What to Say

**A/N:** -giggle- ... -snort- ... HA-HA!!! A-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAA!!!!!

OMG, I'm sorry for all those caps, but... -giggles painfully- But, some of your interpretations of my Author Notes just crack me up! -starts crying with laughter-

Okay, okay... Inhale, exhale... -giggle- Okay, I'm good now. Promise.

So, allow me to clear up some fears and regrets. First off, if this were to be the last, final, doozie chapter, I'd admit to two things: that I would cry, and that it would be really, really, _really_ long. I'm aiming for about ten more chapters -eyes the number eight below- or maybe twelve... I am NOT ending the story right now. If so, I'd have wasted my time, and yours, and quite frankly, I'd feel more guilty about having wasted yours. :)

Also, yes, Chiro-(whatever affix you deem appropriate here, I've heard them all now) IS still a part of the story, though she sorta got hidden away for a little while. I really hope I wrote this earlier (will remember to do so anyway in The Big Edit To Come), but as a possible reminded, Chiro was originally a fairly direct servant of Sesshomaru and his mom (ooh, odd, it sounds so weird to just say 'mom'. They're both too -erm- dignified(?) for that...). She entered this story while tending to Sesshomaru's bath, and right now, her services have merely been focused on serving his mother first, or tending to things which her lady directs her to do. So, you can see how she'd be a behind the scenes character, unless the plot yanks at her chain again.

In regards to anything else... Well, maybe this chapter will dive into some more explanation for you. ;)

Sorry for that chapter quantity misinterpretation from the last chapter's final author note! I'd have changed the A/N, but in all honesty, I enjoyed repeating aforementioned gaffing every time someone worried about it. -grins like the Cheshire Cat- So, I hope that little matter is cleared up now. I'll probably bring it up again in the last A/N. ^__^

Gah! Look at me blather! :D Enjoy the chapter already!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_I Don't Know What to Say_

The clouds were odd today, bearing the appearance of gouges; as though a thousand clawed beast dug through the painted sky in order to reveal the bumpy white canvas underneath. Sesshomaru noted this for approximately the one hundred and ninety third time, which means that he had been on a displeasing train of thought an equal number of times, and was about to resume it after thoroughly examining the sky in absentminded distraction; which obviously was not working for him...

What a bothersome day. Even Tenseiga had awoken for the first time in years to irritate him incomprehensively. Sesshomaru's side was about ready to go numb until the blade just gave up to recuperate.

He was on a large island, which was sparsely populated by humans, on a small hill, which was in a very generally unpopulated area. The only beings to occupy the surrounding land were minor yōkai, who knew their place and decided that keeping their limbs was a far better idea than to come within scenting range of Sesshomaru. That must have been why he liked that place. He was a nearly annual visitor, for a variety of occasions. This time, he simply wanted to think, but it was not going too well.

The wind fancied a shift, and he picked up on his mother's scent. Sesshomaru continued with his upwards stare, quite comfortable on his back with his head on folded arms. Then the thought processed and he jerked upright.

The nasty woman _was_ there, and was frowning. "You must be muddling to not have noticed my arrival, Sesshomaru."

His unfavorable mood was spoiled into something even better. For the overall worse, that is. Deep down inside, he immaturely relished it. Perhaps he should invest some time in finding Jaken to practice his once signature disciplinary actions on. It would be an interesting search though, seeing as the toad probably got himself lost with trying to follow Sesshomaru's disappearing form. The little old yōkai had had two choices, which were to either follow hopelessly, or be intelligent and return to his people as their long lost lord and savior. Sesshomaru had allowed Jaken to keep the Staff of Two Heads, seeing as it had fulfilled its purpose. Besides, Jaken was the only one able to wield the staff, so keeping it would do no good now. If anything, that oddly carved stick would promote Jaken instantaneously into a godly status amongst the numb minded minions he had abandoned, **if **he didn't wander into the middle of nowhere.

Anyway, kicking a toad would have to come later, seeing as Sesshomaru's mother was approaching. Her presence was innocent enough, no malicious vibes humming the air, yet she wouldn't meet his eyes as she nimbly sat a less-than-healthy two feet away from him in the grass. It was the closest interaction with nature that she had had for -as he would imagine- centuries, and it left her bearing a disgruntled look. Like she were tallying up the number of future grass stains. Her expression soon faded into the normal, self-possessed one which every noble inu yōkai was expected to master by the time they could stand four feet high (which was at the age of about forty. Sesshomaru had simply excelled in the mastery of it by the age of five). Sesshomaru looked away from her and just stared forward as well, waiting to hear why she had come. The horizon was far more interesting than the sky, anyway. The minor demons, skittering deeper into a bush and popping beady eyes out another spot, were up to playing hide-and-find via visual contact with Sesshomaru; they just didn't know it to be a game.

Conversationally, the insults, judgments, and even crude comments stayed at their origins for a while. Since those were the three main categories of their mother and son social interaction, the lack meant a heavy, almost intolerable silence saturated the air. Neither of them were in the right mood to bicker. At least, not with each other.

Fortunately, his mother had an innate knack for directing his anger to herself.

"Thank you for not changing to go wreck havoc on a city."

Startled, Sesshomaru blinked. He had fully expected an excellent reason to be annoyed with her, and instead she was thanking him? How dare she.

"Your father did that a lot, while he courted me," she continued, never seeing Sesshomaru's slight part of lips, the result of a mostly slack jaw. "Despite our relationship being an arrangement, it grated on his nerves to wait for me to come of appropriate age. He always wanted more than I could give, and it did neither of us any good." A slight smile graced her lips. It merely added to the evil effect she typically gave off. "Eventually, I went into a city he had mauled and bought a scroll from a popular artist, which showed soldiers bearing spears in the local majestic court and your peeved sire watching them from the clouds in his true state. The art was impressive, for a human. Your father appreciated it for all of three seconds before ripping it apart."

"Why are you here?" Sesshomaru interjected. This was beginning to sound like a mother-son moment. In all honesty, the very thought chilled him. They had never shared anything of the sort, and he was not willing to change that fact.

A sigh slipped delicately from her, and he watched her hand move in his peripheral, then felt it pat his shoulder.

That action had a very, very wrong feeling to it. They never touched one another 'nicely'. Not ever since he learned how to discipline her for not keeping her nose out of his business.

The hand fell away.

"You are an idiot, my son."

_There_ was that long awaited insult.

"I am sorry for not having trained you better."

... Dammit, she needed to stop apologizing. Even if it _was_ accompanied by another insult. Because, really, what could he say to that? 'I am not an idiot, though you did screw up?' That was immensely contradictory. Telling her to shut her mouth was an option, but she still had yet to state her reason for being there, and repeating the question would be repetitive.

"Well," she continued quickly, "if you are done sulking like someone more than half your age, then I advise yet off your ass and go propose to the confused thing you plan on having yapping puppies with." She turned to see an absolutely baffled Sesshomaru. "What? Did you forget how to walk?"

For the first time in his entire life -**his** _entire_ life- he had nothing to say. Was his mother ill??

She rolled her eyes impatiently as he remained absolutely speechless. "Well, really, what else are you supposed to do? By our traditions, yes, you would wait for her to drag you into bed, but she was not raised as one of our species and- Stop looking at me like that, you look like the fish I just ate for breakfast."

He scoffed, which was actually a bad attempt to cover a chuckle. "Did you just say an inappropriate word?"

"Oh, shut up," she ordered. "That was nothing compared to what Sheng has been exposed to for the last few months. Watching you and Kagome failing miserably at this mating thing is going to make me grow old."

"You are already old," Sesshomaru corrected for her.

His mother bristled. "Then I expect to see some grandchildren before I die."

This time he gave a genuine scoff. "Perhaps. That depends on your future audacity."

She began to click her nails together then, peeved beyond reasoning. "Alright. I am returning now. Perhaps it is easier to talk sense into Kagome."

"Do not even think of it," he warned as she turned her back to him, walking.

"I already have the conversation planned," she fired back, then paused and turned her head so that she could regard him with her peripheral. "Do you even _want_ to mate her, after all this time?"

The question was unexpected, and after the brief wonderment he glared at her.

"Oh, good," she stated with a smile. "It shall be relayed. Enjoy the clouds."

Sesshomaru lunged for her, but she was gone in a cherry blossom pink bubble of energy, and rapidly disappearing. He followed in the same fashion.

* * *

"Le!" Kagome hollered, having a heck of a time finding the jerk. Either he was patrolling the o-shiro, and keeping whole rooms in between them while traversing the opposite hallway, or he was being a royal pain in the neck. "Le! Stop hiding!"

"Hiding?" came a faded response. "Why would I do that?"

Kagome stopped, her ears telling her one thing while her senses said another. It was enough to give her a mild headache. "Get over here! I want to talk with you!"

In an instant he was gone. Well, gone in the way that a blip on a radar disappears. Then his aura popped up again, and she yelped while turning a jumping back.

"Really," he began, a small smirk on his face, "all you have to do is ask."

She blinked, and had a really strong urge to smack him five hundred years into the future, where she'd smack him back five hundred years and repeat the process… It'd be a splendid version of table tennis.

Instead, she quelled her pride, quirked her mouth at the thought of what she was about to say, then just spurted it out. "I want you to train me."

Le lifted a solitary eyebrow, seeming entirely intrigued and not in the least bit surprised. "Why?"

"To better myself," she stated.

He cocked his head slightly. "Why?"

Immediately she had the impression that he was one hell of an irritating toddler. "So I can protect myself."

"From?"

"You," she admitted first. "And from Sesshomaru's cousin. And from anyone else trying to assassinate me."

Le's lips twitched, and half a grin emerged, revealing a well-developed canine. "You plan on staying here long enough for someone to make such an attempt again?"

She mimicked a statue.

"Because, really," Le continued, beginning to walk to her side, then doing slow circles around her place of rooting, "it would be a lot easier to remain as you are, and live a productive life as a village miko."

"I will stay as I am, no matter what I learn," she defended herself, swallowing. She hated the circling, but was used to it, in an odd way. Her kendo teacher did it. She felt it was a way to intimidate, but it was also a way of 'sizing someone up'. Just walking a circle around them, checking the way they held themselves to interpret certain aspects which are always subconsciously noted but not too cared about. Keiji, the boy Kagome would spar with and who she missed at times when there was nothing to really bruise, had tried the circling thing on her once. He was limping for a few days afterwards.

Le paused, behind her and to her left, then continued. "Everyone changes when they learn to love and trust another."

Now she was just irked. He was playing games with her. Right? "Listen, I don't mind the consequences. I just want to be prepared."

"For what?"

She about stomped her foot, and decided against it. "For the future."

"Which will consist of what?"

Her foot stung with how hard it hit the floor. "Will you stop it!"

Standing in front of her again, Le laughed. It wasn't evil, or teasing. He just laughed.

"Just answer the damn question!" he said loudly.

"I did!"

"No, you did not."

"Yes, I did!"

"No-"

"ARGH!!" she yelled, grabbing her hair as a means to avoid slugging him. If she could ever catch him, she would. "WHAT question, then?!"

"What do you want to do when you grow up?"

Her fingers loosened. Dear lord, he sounded like a parent from the twenty-first century! "… What?"

"That is an excellent question."

Kagome whipped around to see Sheng, standing about forty feet back and bearing a thoroughly humored look on his face.

"Wh-? How long have you **been** there?!" she demanded.

"Answer, miko," Le commanded, reaffirming his position in her attention span.

She began chewing air, wanting to talk but now able to. "B- I- Thi- … I don't have to tell _you_!"

There was a bark of laughter, and Kagome looked to see Sheng with his head flung back and hands on his hips.

"You are humiliating yourself," Le informed her, which set her kettle boiling. "It is not a sin to be in love, miko. Even if it so happens to be with someone I take commands from…"

If the threat of blacking out and getting a few new cuts in her throat wasn't dangling in front of her like a set bear trap, she'd try to zap him. She'd zap them both. What jerks.

"Do you think your emotions are a secret?" Le asked, genuinely intrigued. It made her think of what hormones she was leaking, and it was a very disturbing thought. "Really, I am certain that those who have only heard rumors of you know that you are here for one thing. Yes, you appeared and challenged Sesshomaru to mend your honor, but you have been coming back and have been enjoying his attentions. It is so obvious that you wish to mate him that most of the members of the council are beginning to wonder what it is that is holding you back."

There was a rustle of fabric, and the image of Sheng shifting passed through her thoughts before her eyes focused on Le again.

"Or do you merely want to fool yourself with lies at the cost of losing what you have?"

"Losing what?" she asked. A rock settled comfortably in the pit of her stomach. "Sheng?" she asked, turning halfway. "What does he mean? What would I be losing?"

Something went 'click' in her head, and the rock began to vibrate to make her feel sick. "Where's Sesshomaru? Where did he go?"

A woman's voice answered that. "Presently, he is furiously 'hanging around' outside the barrier, so our conversation will be brief."

"Little Li Hua!" Sheng greeted merrily, earning quite the glare.

"Call me that again, and you'll be banned for a decade!" she yelled, not seeming to be in good spirits. She then turned a wonderful little smile onto Kagome, which was the scariest thing the miko had ever come across. _**Ever**_. "Come, dear. We have much to discuss, and very little time."

* * *

Sesshomaru was going to wring his mother's skinny neck. How **dare** she block him from entering the o-shiro! It was a temporary inconvenience, seeing as it would only work for a short while once she was away, but it did nothing to keep him from seething.

* * *

Kagome had to admit, it was very unnatural to see Sesshomaru's mother sitting without a cup of tea in her hands. Their conversation had begun when she shut the doors, leaving Le and Sheng to do what they would so long as they weren't in the room, and Kagome wasn't liking it by the time the woman sat herself.

"What do you mean, 'by spring'?" she asked.

"It is politics," Li Hua supplied dismissively. "Regardless, I am weary of watching this game of yours. And besides, you have less time than that."

"What game?" Kagome asked, her heart racing. What was going on? Why was everyone thinking about her and whatever relationship she had with Sesshomaru? Sure, his cousin just left after some drama, and Sesshomaru himself was gone, but was that enough to trigger things? … Maybe.

"The game you are playing with my son, what else would I refer to?" she demanded.

Kagome fidgeted. "What do you mean by 'less time'?"

* * *

Sesshomaru was ready to begin yelling, seeing as occasionally beating a fist against the barrier did nothing but hurt. A lot.

* * *

"You need to make up your mind on whether or not you love him enough to trust him. Shockingly, trust is one of the _first_ things you should have given by now…"

Kagome's fingers began hurting she was clasping them so tightly. "What do you mean?"

A growl filled the room. "You love him. It is obvious," the terrifying woman stated, almost darkly. "How can you allow yourself to be in the same room with him and yet not want to remain at his side like your heart is screaming for?"

Kagome bit her lip.

* * *

Bakusaiga was not cooperating.

* * *

'_Four years,'_ whispered a thought through Kagome's mind. _'You spent four years cursing him, seeking revenge, and blaming him for not being able to find a decent guy.'_

Sesshomaru's mother frowned in an almost ugly manner. "What are you thinking?"

Her lip slipped from between her teeth so she could purse them in anger.

The woman looked to weigh things with her eyes, and then she sighed. "You are both idiots… You look and definitely smell angry, but there is also self-blame deep inside."

Kagome blinked. Hm. She had thought about her denying Keiji and not thinking of other men as date material as being her own decision. Every now and again, at least. Blaming Sesshomaru had always been easier, though now, after everything else they'd been through, it seemed a little silly to hold onto a grudge. Still, it's not as though it would just dissolve immediately.

* * *

Tenseiga merely refused to be unsheathed.

* * *

Li Hua lifted a hand to push against her temple. "Oh, really, I do not see how he manages to tolerate you and your emotions."

Kagome opened her mouth to begin arguing.

"Well, if you do not choose to choose for yourself…"

* * *

Maybe he should just transform and overpower the damn thing…

* * *

"Engagement?!" Kagome squeaked.

"Of course," the scary woman confirmed. "There are plenty of full blooded young ladies looking for a mate, and the appropriate season is approaching. If you cannot fulfill this position, then someone else will."

"… But…"

* * *

That did **not** work.

* * *

"Kagome," Li Hua addressed the miko in front of her firmly, the weight of the world backing her up. "Look at you. You were just angry, now you are sad and worried? You need to do everyone a service and make this simple decision. **Now**. Do you love him, or do you not?"

* * *

The hissing shun of the barrier disappeared, and Sesshomaru immediately passed through it. A lot of servants were shocked to see him running by, claws practically glowing. He was going to murder that woman. Nothing would save her this time. There was no force in the entire universe strong enough to change his mind.

"I love him."

Sesshomaru stopped like he just ran into an immobile rock, mere inches from ripping the door out of its sliding grooves.

"What was that?" his accursed mother asked from within. "I could _barely_ hear you. … Kagome?"

There were quick footsteps, and the door flung open, revealing a wide-eyed yet slightly smiling, beautiful young woman. His rage never even existed now.

"Um," she stammered slightly, fiddling with her fingers and not looking away from him. "I- I said I loved him. Happy?"

"Immensely," Sesshomaru stated before his mother could comment. He made a mental note to not kill her for at least another century, and Kagome's nervous giggle doubled the time.

"Ah, good," she said through a grin, a shadow of worry cascading over the background of her eyes. "Is the… feeling returned?"

Doubt washed off of her in a jumbled wave of emotions. She was scared, hopeful, wanting, and needing. She did not need to hear his reply though. The need, bearing in itself an undisturbed strength, confidence, pride, and the scent that was merely personality, would be fulfilled by knowing.

He wanted to fulfill that need, that desire of hers to regain something lost innocently with time. She stood before him, looking weakened by an invisible, approaching force, but determined in bearing with what would come.

Reaching out, Sesshomaru enclosed her in his arms and drew her close, wondering how she managed to hold herself together with such a nightmare of indecisive nerves. She nuzzled into his shoulder, holding him tightly as the tension she felt eased ever so slightly.

"Yes," he answered.

'Warmth', like ropes of emotion, spun thick through the air. He couldn't see them, but he could feel them, and it was a very, very welcomed sensation. Her hold around his torso strengthened briefly, and she muttered an 'okay'. She loosened her hug, then pulled away just enough to look up at him. That shadow was absolutely absolved from her eyes, which were shining bright and strong in a gleeful face. "Don't think this means I want to have sex though."

"Oh, for the _love_ of-!"

Sesshomaru shut the door on his mother's exasperation. "That is fine."

Kagome, absolutely stunning with a grin that would be hurting her cheeks soon, stared up at him in an almost lightheaded manner. "Alright. … Um, making out is still okay."

A shrill giggle sang its way out of her when he easily lifted her into his arms. Kagome completely obstructed his view of the hall by grabbing his face and kissing him, an action which did not stop even after he managed to close the door to his quarters.

* * *

"I must admit," Sheng began, arms crossed and feeling delighted, "I was not expecting such a wonderful outcome. At the very least, I assumed Sesshomaru would notice those faint new scratches on her, but that has been avoided so far."

Le, straight-faced yet nonetheless pleased, nodded. "Little Kagome did not stand much of a chance in this. If the odds are not in her favor, then good should be expected."

"You would be surprised," Sheng replied, recalling the short time he had trained her. She had unlocked an element of her powers under his supervision, and there was much, much more she could learn. How to keep from being sealed, however, he did not know. Not only was he a demon and had not been willing to dapple in the other half, but he also had never cared to learn the technique himself. It was not that he was foolish, it was simply a matter of him being fully able to overpower anyone with the balls to even try it on him. "She can be quite strong. Are you going to accept her request?"

Le shrugged. "I will think on it."

"If you do not, then I gladly shall," Sheng opted.

His companion scoffed. "You? You made it easier for yōkai to seal her in the first place. What _other _helpful tactics can you share?"

Sheng's grin faltered. "Me?"

Le offered an indifferent look. "Of course, you. Who else has both the knowledge to teach it and the chance to meet Kagome before she came to the o-shiro?"

"Ah," Sheng chuckled. "You knew?"

"Obviously."

Studying nothing, Sheng contemplated, then nodded. "I will train her every other day, seeing as your patience is limited as it is. It will also get Sesshomaru situated in his duties again."

Le watched Sheng move for the room Li Hua occupied. "Meaning that I would have her every other day as well?"

"Yes, I accept. A generous offer on your part," Sheng agreed, closing the room's door. He had a lady to calm. "I will begin tomorrow. Have a good evening, fellow councilman."

Le, standing in the hall, had the impression that the old coot felt as though he had just manipulated him. If so, Sheng was wrong. Le had been planning of beating some talent into that young woman for quite some time now.

* * *

**A/N:** WOOT!! Updated in time for the weekend! (barely) I'm going to try and update again in two weeks or so, seeing as this chapter was relatively short. The next chapter should have quite a lot in it. ;)

Okay, I've said it before, so I'll say it again. This story has a mind of its own. I had no idea it would fling in this direction. I'm as stunned as I would be if I threw a pebble into a lake and it skipped in circles rather than a line. Or, in my case, a solitary splash. :) Really, that little bit was going to come later, but it apparently wanted to be born now.

Well, overall, I have no complaints. I'm expecting a few of you to at least sigh in relief that Sesshy's bad mood was ripped from him with three of the most proverbial words of love there are, and I expect a few more of you to throw a little party and then threaten me if Chiro messes this up for them. Well, to the latter group, I say 'no worries, this part is golden'.

Also, because it just came to mind, I recall quite a few people saying 'don't focus on the lemon, the story isn't about that and doesn't really need it, so only write it if you'd like' (you know who you are, and yes, people have said that). I might have said this before (is too lazy to check), but any possible future lemons will not appear in the fanfiction . net story. There will be a notice (such as: **Lemon**), and then the story will continue. No plot will be involved in the scene(s), so it is skip-over'able. If you do want to read it though, then I'll try and provide the chapter link for it in my fanfiction profile page. The full, kinky chapter will be on mediaminer . org, and hopefully, for your convenience, the scene will be at the end of the chapter or at the beginning, so you don't have to go searching through the middle of the chapter on a foreign sight. :) Also, I'd say to not take this lemon info as a hint to the next chapter, but my muse just gave something of a giggle, so we'll see… -really wishes to have more control over the plot-

Oh! Last thing, I promise. I'm restating now that THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER. Haha, I still find it funny that some people misinterpreted the last author's note. I was getting hung up on actually _thinking_ about the creating of the last chapter. I've been working on this story (and most of you have been patient with me) for almost a year now, so thoughts of actually finishing it in, maybe, a few months, is like an adrenaline rush for me. (Woohoo!!) Hehe, but, as disappointed as my future-arthritic fingers may be, I have another story planned after this one still, so in a way, this story's last chapter won't really be a 'last' of much else… :P

Alright, I've blabbed enough. Please share your thoughts with me, and thanks for reading!

~AD


	9. Not All Good Things Must Come to an End

**A/N: **-sighs- Sorry it took so long, but I am finally content with this chapter. It's long, too! How about that? You kind of deserve it, after I threw that last one your way. ;) I hadn't planned on it being so short. It kinda just got written and posted, then after some comments and a re-read, I was shocked, so now you get a longer one! (Granted, it was at the cost of taking longer to write and edit… :S Forgivings?)

Also, the first 'section' of this chapter may be a little to much for some of your comfort zones, so in case you're wondering, if said zone is breeched, you may feel free to skip ahead until the chapter breaker point. There's no plot after the hot and bothersome bit begins, so no worries there. And it isn't a lime or anything, I just feel like it was a little more… Um, I don't know _how_ to describe it. Maybe a more intense mindset? -shrugs- Anyway, it was just a warning. :P

Speaking of warnings, I'm going to tell you now that this chapter is basically the last full-focus update which is dedicated solely to the building of Sesshomaru's and Kagome's relationship. At least, that's as far as I can see, through the fog of my -ahem- dedicated organization skills. -scoffs at self- Not to say that there won't be intimacy later on (there will be), but rather that it will be a lot more plot integrated from this point on. Yep, I'll assume that's why this chapter just wouldn't end. Getting that 'cutsie' phase taken care of and jumping back onto that plot train. YAY!

Hope you enjoy this long, long, long chapter! In case you're wondering, it takes up more than fifty pages in a word processor. XD And thanks for enduring my prattling, now and at the end of the chapter. :3

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_Not All Good Things Must Come to an End_

Kagome was fast asleep. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was deep in thought, but would appear to be asleep to anyone brave enough to peer into his quarters. So far there was peace and quiet, as the more curious beings were content with walking by for a sniff and leaving it at that. It made Sesshomaru wonder if their eagerness for a change had them as stirred up as himself; it seemed impossible but one should never cut short possibilities, especially the good ones.

The conversation he and Kagome had had before she drifted off -odd, seeing as it was early afternoon, but he had no complaints- was recycling through his mind. The most intriguing bit was her attempt to explain why she did not wish to mate as of yet. It confused him, despite there being a great deal of sense to it. She had found another thing to worry over, or attached meaning to old emotions. She did not want to have children -not his, specifically, because of longevity- until she knew for certain that she could live long and be there for them as a provider and protector. In part, that had insulted _his_ protectiveness, and her attempt to exemplify what she inoffensively meant began with InuYasha's example of growing up and his mother dying when he was still a 'toddler'. Then Sesshomaru began to mute the familiar story out in favor of seeing if he preferred one of her breasts over the other. Why not? They had been right there on display, teasing every time she breathed. She had smacked him for not paying attention and muttered 'men'.

Reminiscing paused when Kagome shifted, her arm and leg moving across Sesshomaru's half naked body. The weight of her was comforting as she stilled again. Her breaths skipped warm and then cool across his bare breast, and he could feel the rhythmic beatings of her heart against his side. This pleased him to indescribable degrees, and he fondly pressed his lips to the top of her head before resuming his thoughts, absentmindedly stroking her back and loving the faint hum she gave. He was so glad to have her with him again. The time following her woeful departure had been agonizing. It had him thinking at times that she may never want to see him again. That their relationship would die.

But it did not…

Displeasure pulsed and vanished upon reliving a comment Kagome had made earlier. Apparently, both his mother and Sheng had been meddling in Sesshomaru's affairs. Again. This time by means of telling Kagome of certain customs and personality traits inuyōkai grew up learning to understand, and by giving a small amount of pressure in her decisiveness. Overall, their interference was innocent, if not possibly helpful. At the very least, their involvement was a godsend compared to Le's somewhat distorted way of getting things resolved. That last note was not absolutely terrible. Sesshomaru now had someone to reprimand. Excellent. It would not be kicking a toad, but it would definitely suffice.

Ideas slowed and ended briefly as Sesshomaru's senses -surveying as they tended to do every so often- honed in on his intended, and the time was spent enjoying what he had. Being intimate with Kagome was addictive and savory, as it had always been, but there was an unmistakable splendor and pride involved when their relatively innocent activities were done in his quarters. They had not mated, yet, and Sesshomaru was no fool to feel in good spirits over something which did not happen. On the other hand, he could not shake a certain glowing sense of worth and accomplishment. Perhaps her dislodged emotions at their admittances had stirred up his instincts, or maybe it was the fact that her splendid scent was mingling with that of his room; the latter being a smell which consisted of years of his presence and of fabrics and furnishings he was familiar with since being a child. In other words, Kagome was nicely integrating herself with a nostalgic element of his life, and that was something he absolutely adored.

Far too soon another of their conversed topics bared itself for attention, and Sesshomaru's appreciation for the ambiance became subconscious yet again. Kagome had brought up the subject of other women in his life, again, and he had to assure her that that was an aspect in his life which would forever be forgone unless she outright refused to mate with him; something he had great doubt in happening but one must keep in mind that it was Kagome being referred to.

She had also asked about Chiro. Simply questions of intrigue, unless she was an excellent liar to the point of hiding the scent of frying patience. Sesshomaru answered them, carefully, in part thankful that she did not ask about any women who came before Chiro (seeing as even one woman was punishable by death of relationship). They had spent nearly an hour discussing one another's view on the topic -and relating ones- in civil or teasing tones, though Kagome's voice had sharpened now and again. He did not mind it. The sound simply represented how territorial over him she unconsciously was, and his pride flared all over again despite himself.

After that shockingly smooth -and hopefully never again repeated- part of their long conversation, Sesshomaru had then asked Kagome if she would soon pursue learning how to better control her powers. Such would not only lengthen her life considerably, but also develop ways to exercise that control in fashions unique to her. He could not say how long it would take for her to grow accustomed to the art, seeing as she was a miko and not a yōkai, but he was almost giddy with hope that it would be quick. After all, she had given the promising suggestion that her hesitation on certain matters would disappear at that point. It had excited him enough to begin thinking up names for their children.

As odors continued to mingle overhead, lacing tangibly through warm gusts of spring coming from an open door, images of future possibilities shuffled past Sesshomaru's mind's eye. For most of his life, he had a fair certainty that his living relatives would find him a mate since his interest in women had been limited and kept him from searching on his own. And that was fine, mating was not traditionally emotional. In time, they would have found a healthy young woman with desirable features similar to his own, as was customary. Excellent breeding was always a part of the life of royalty, whether it was for strength, appearances, intellect, or all three and more. Incidents such as InuYasha were seen as a disgrace to a lineage thousands of years in the making, and as a defilement of family honor. On the other hand his cousin's, Léi Kueng's irresponsibility with finding a mate, as the woman selected for him had been deemed 'inappropriate', was also dishonorable. Seeing as his status was second to highest, other inuyōkai could find it in themselves to overlook such actions.

Sighing with mild exasperation calmed Sesshomaru, and his fingers smoothed slowly along Kagome's side. Yes, he had expected to be partnered in an arranged mating, just as it had happened for his parents, and as it had happened for their parents and so forth. He grew up _knowing_ that his children would bear similar traits to his own; blue tinted silver hair, molten gold slit-pupil eyes, desirably fair skin, and an incredible ability to wield youki. Now all of that was bypassed. He could wonder if any children he would have with Kagome would bear markings. If they would grow claws, and develop larger canines after their baby teeth fell out. He did not know what color their hair would be, or their eyes. What their strengths would be, or their weaknesses. It was thrilling to think about, and it had a primitive -and so far, very ignored- part of him itching to get the experiment underway.

"What are you thinking about?"

For one of the very few times in his life, Sesshomaru flinched. It had escaped him that Kagome was awake.

She hummed to him, rubbing his chest fondly, and pulled herself up to lean on an elbow and hover a short distance above. It was a teasing position in many ways, both within reach and not, and her slightly distraught hair slowly slid in layers over her nude back to land on his abdomen. Her smile was full and sleepy, and by all means arousing.

"About children," he admitted, lifting a hand to groom the loose snags from her midnight blue locks. "Are you certain you do not wish to mate yet?"

Her expression peaked with surprise, then eased open with a tender love that was almost as satisfying as sex. The slow coloring of her cheeks was just a bonus.

"Hm… Not yet," she breathed, cautiously regarding a corner instead of him. As though a lack of eye contact was going to hide her own naughty thoughts from him. "Maybe after I learn a few tricks."

A grin freely dominated Sesshomaru, which made her glance and smile beautifully. Funny, how much being happy in front of him seemed to annoy her until earlier. Perhaps it hit her understanding that she would have to grow accustomed to it.

"Ah, so you **do** wish to mate?" he asked playfully. Her body screamed the answer, as always. It was her mind which needed convincing.

She sighed, feigning the more familiar emotion of boredom, and cushioned her chin on a palm while drawing delicious patterns on his chest with a teasing look in her eyes. Her actions spiked his sense of touch, and her hair turned to cool silk as it passed between his warming fingers. "Hm-hm-hmm, I guess. It sounds a lot easier than this courting business. Anyway, for some reason I keep coming back here, so I might as well have a permanent excuse for my actions. Besides, I'd have to deal with the hatred and vengeance of everyone in this floating castle if I just up and left."

Sesshomaru chuckled, and her hand stilled as though to feel the sound escaping him. He always enjoyed that little bit of spunk in her. It was good to see in full now.

Her finger pressed harder as it commenced its dance, the dull nail creating a ripple of sensation through him. It was a rather cute aspect of her, like her blunt little teeth and curbed ears. He would not mind in the least if their children lacked claws. In fact, it would render them easier to rear… "I was being serious, you know."

"I know," he replied, beginning to return her attentions on her lower back, smoothing a fingertip along the soft and dipping skin just above the 'no touch under fabrics' zone. Playing with that border kept them both entertained. "Hence its being funny."

Her drawing had stopped when his began, and she now gave him a weighing look. "'Funny'? Don't you mean 'entertaining', or 'humorous'?"

She was poking fun at his manner of speech, and two more fingers joined the one trailing her back, spread to distract her nerves with three moving points of contact. "Is something wrong with 'funny'?"

She took a deep breath, shifted her legs a little while looking at nothing, then answered. "It just sounds fu- odd, coming from you. It's like when you said 'shit' in the cave when Bashamon's seal fell in a river. I still can't believe you said that, it sounded so _wrong_."

"Really?" he inquired. "Everyone swears, given the appropriate circumstance. Even if it is only in their thoughts."

"Hm," she managed, her eyes unfocused a little to watch a spot of air. His claws now carefully scratched her back. They both relished in the act. Some of the faces she made were priceless, and at times she would arch and turn and twist her body to try and get him at that one little spot just itching at her skin for attention. For the moment she was content with what he was doing, and it showed in her absentminded and motionless state. He would give it two more minutes before the squirming would begin.

"So… Kids, huh?"

Sesshomaru's spirits skipped. Someone should have warned him, during _some_ moment of his centuries of life, that becoming emotionally bound with a woman meant losing portions of self-control and sanity. Maybe they simply knew that they were worth sacrificing. "Yes. I was wondering what they would look like."

"Good point. ... Are yōkai babies born with light blue eyes before the color sets in?"

He had to think about that for a moment. Babies were not his specialty, nor were they frequent in coming. There had been four births amongst his many servants in the last ten years, three of them from well established couples. "Briefly, perhaps."

"Hm," she hummed again, and she shifted to pillow her face on his sternum, watching him. "You want kids?"

"Eventually."

"How many?"

Sesshomaru smirked at the ceiling, wondering over her possible reactions, and began to gently scratch her head since her back was most likely red by now. That, and it was hard to angle his arm under her elbows, which were on either side of him to accommodate for her position. "Many."

The relaxation she was riding bolted in a minor flinch, and he heard her rub some fingers together. "How many is 'many'?"

That was an excellent question… "Is there a record in the future for how many children a woman has ever birthed?"

Kagome went still. "Yeah. I believe it's about sixty."

"Sixty?!" he exclaimed, genuinely shocked, and she nodded against him. Even yōkai found it difficult to bear so many.

"The poor woman ovulated multiple eggs at a time…" Kagome explained. "Call it having litters. By the way, I refuse to have more than… than five kids. And even then you'll have some convincing on your hands."

"Hm," he tuned, humored. This was an excellent conversation. And here he was expecting her limit to be two, which was a healthy number of children in his opinion for humans. Considering how long Kagome would be living with him, they may have more than she expected. Children left to live their lives, after all, and women have a tendency to satisfy hormones at a mature age. "We will see."

"U-huh," she challenged with an unconvinced tone.

He shrugged, making her head bob with the gesture. "Children are a natural result of copulation. How many do you imagine two humans would have in a thousand years and more?"

Her thumb rubbed along his collarbone pensively, and a faint scent of worry came off of her. "You know they won't be full yōkai."

"I know," he assured for approximately the thirtieth time since she first stated as much, and he wondered over what he was scenting. "That is not enough for you to fret about. What are you thinking?"

She wiggled, then quickly relaxed as he continued stroking her hair. "Damn that nose of yours... Yeah, I have a worry over the doctors of this time. The death rate of infants and mothers is a lot higher now than it is in the future."

He sighed, mostly because he had taken in a deep breath of the pheromones she was unconsciously emitting. "You have nothing to fear. My herbalists and physicians are experts in their fields, and you are very healthy and in your prime for bearing children. Deaths are a result of having no medicinal and emotional aid, or from a lack of health or worthy genetics from either of the parents. You have no need to dwell on the issue, I assure you."

She was quiet, thinking. "Our children _would_ be healthy, right?"

Her precautions to him were somewhat tiring, but he hid it well. Perhaps after their first child she would come to some senses on the topic. Then again, that also likely predicted some immense paranoia during pregnancy… "Yes, they will be. Exceptionally so. Why?"

She shrugged, which only appeared to be a way of rubbing against him. "I don't know if there are diseases or defects when crossing two energies and genetic histories. It seems there would be. I've never heard of a yōkai and a miko having children, that's all. I mean, it's not like we'd be the first, right? Their children would have to be famous and talked about a lot, I'm sure, so then why does no one know about these sorts of things?"

The minute amount of annoyance was vanquished by hearing her voice such thoughts, and he grinned. "Well, there is a first for everything. You are unusually comfortable with this topic." Kagome gave an irked humph, laying the palm of her hand to his side and sending small sparks of fire racing inside him as her thumb brushed on his skin. "It is very pleasing."

An almost nervous giggle bubbled from her, sounding something like a cat trying to chirp. "At least one of us is happy about that."

Sesshomaru scoffed, foreseeing another of her pleasant little arguments. "You enjoy it as much as you love me."

Kagome shot up, mouth open in disgust. Or, that was the look she was aiming for. It was ruined by a smile. "How conceded can you _get_??"

"Very," he supplied. "And I was merely stating the truth."

Her mouth shut, and she lifted her nose and looked away.

"Correct?" he prompted, slightly pressing his fingers into her side. She squealed with a wild flinch and tried to roll away from him, but he easily caught her in a quick move via straddling and continued with the torture. "Admit it."

"NO-HO-HOO!!" she cried, squirming futilely and trying to push his hands away. "STO-HA-HA-HOP!!"

"I can keep doing this for weeks," he informed truthfully, which made her scream partially in dread. Then a very pleasing game came to mind and he ceased, for a moment. "Admit it."

A suppressed grin made her flushed face look to be in pain, and her breathing was in panting little laughs. "Wha?"

"Admit it," he ordered gaily, poking her slightly to watch her dramatics. "Say you love me."

"No," she dared, accepting the punishment of being tickled for the next ten seconds and screaming throughout it.

"Say it," he toyed.

"It!" she cried, hyperventilating. "There! I said 'it'!"

He blinked. Then smiled, and poked her some more. "No. Say that you love me."

"That you love me!" she repeated, shrieking happily and turning frantically as he touched the minor pressure points in her sides, neck, and pretty much anywhere else. If she did not want him to tickle her, then she would not be ticklish.

"Say 'I love you'," he ordered playfully, having quite a bit of fun.

"A-ha-ha-haw," she cooed, looking up at him adoringly with a flushed face and hair spread across the blanket which covered the futon mattress. "That's so sweet of you to say."

This game of theirs lasted until two minutes after she first claimed not being able to breathe.

"You love me!" she screamed defiantly and joyously to his final attempt, tears streaming from her eyes and the corners of her mouth twitching from having smiled for too long.

Finally, he gave up in recognition of her admirable stubbornness. Sesshomaru released her wrists from above her head -seeing as she had worked them out from against her sides- and rolled off of her to lounge a short distance away. "That is true. You may stop bellowing it now."

"Hehehe," she giggled, turning onto her belly and pushing up to sit on her heels. "You lo-o-o-ove me."

He smirked at her attempt to hit a good note.

She continued, singing. "You want to to-o-o-ouch me. You want to ho-o-o-old me. You want to ki-i-i-iss me."

He waited for more, but it was not coming. "Is that all?"

A choked chuckle was the answer. "I don't really know the song. And if there was more, it'd be dirty."

At that Sesshomaru laughed, and thought of a new activity. "Dirty? No," he disagreed, getting up to his knees to slowly stalk closer to her on all fours. "But we could make it so. You owe me a disrobing."

Her eyes widened, but he sensed a more naughty and playful side stir itself up in her, lighting a fire behind her blue eyes. "Th-! That was an accident!"

He grinned. "That does not matter."

The abrupt sweetness of her scent slapping him in the face and clenched his concentration as she leaned back from him and began to scoot away, prompting a primal part of him to move faster. Her hands darted forwards as a means of attacking first, and he easily grabbed her wrists.

"A-! Hey! Not fair!" she yelped before he sat back and slowly began pulling her closer. He did so gradually, giving her more time to try and get away. She should have known that escape was impossible, but nevertheless she continued yanking and bouncing like an ensnared rabbit. It was quite beautiful, in and of itself, and very lovely with her being topless as well.

"Perfectly fair," he countered, looping a hand around the small of her back when she was inches away and pressing her to him. He put his mouth to her ear, but the prepared words died as their delightful position opened to many possibilities. So, instead, he breathed softly down her neck, giving her gooseflesh as he drew in her scent and held her possessively against him.

"Oh, kami," she barely whimpered, then spoke up. "Sesshy, you know better."

"I do," he replied, entertaining tantalizing thoughts while nuzzling under her chin to orally tease her neck and ignite her sense of vulnerability to him. Her little shudders tasted delicious. "Now, ask me if I heed better."

Kagome took a moment to think on that, staring over his shoulder. "Jerk," she finally huffed. Cool fingers stroked up his sides, curiosity and uncertainty lingering in the depths of the touch. He cupped her bottom, feeling the muscles flex in sudden protest, and lifted her to bring the sloping base of her neck into easier reach of his mouth. A small grunt of surprise came from her, as it usually did when he demonstrated strength in such little ways, and by the time he had her in position her knees had slid apart against his thighs and now cuddled his hips lovingly. It nearly made him purr.

"Sesshy," she warned halfheartedly, failing at any attempt to sound strict and serious.

The lobe of her ear brushed the tapering end of his eyebrow as he tasted the smooth skin of her neck, and her legs clenched around his waist as she hugged him close. "Yes?" he prompted just far enough away so his lips tickled her.

"… Never mind."

After a rumble of approval he started nibbling around, searching for a new area to torment. He felt her go stiff and still, waiting him out and not daring to move. It was a challenge to one another, testing his senses and assessing her will and endurance. Maybe in a few years she could stand a chance. Maybe.

"Oh!" she moaned when the spot was claimed, his lips encircling it before sucking in and biting gently. This was not the first time he had done such a thing. It was a sensual weakness of hers which he was very aware of, and he enjoyed taking advantage of it. She had even given it a name, once, saying the first time that 'the last thing I want is hickey evidence of our making out'. After said first time she stopped complaining, and was content with enjoying it and commenting on long canines and vampires, whatever those were. He had a feeling that their history lay in Europe somewhere.

Kagome melted, warm and humming contently to him. She eventually got over the sensational rush teased him in turn, first by planting her toes and leaning in to him until she was high up on his lap. The second was by playing with his ear with her tongue and teeth. He used to **hate** that. Hate it with a burning passion. She taught him how to love it, then how to crave it, and in turn he learned how to better get it.

They stopped after half an hour of playing when Sesshomaru knew he was two moans and a lick away from collecting what his more assertive side said she was overdue to give and pinning her. The most frustrating part was he knew that, if he did take action at that point, there was small chance she'd start to say 'no', and even then the word would probably come only in retaliation to the irreversible. It was to avoid as much that he regrettably dragged himself out of bed and pulled the long disused outer haori off the foot of the thick futon mattress. That the under layers of his clothes were off the bed and laying about the room hinted greatly at the fun they both had had while halfway disrobing the other quite a while ago. Donning the fabric and scanning for a sash, Sesshomaru wondered when Kagome would get less skirmish around him so that he could go back to easily wearing kimono (which needed to be put on before hakama, but seeing as she did not want him undressing in front of her that was temporarily forsaken).

"Leaving?" she asked, settling her own haori onto her shoulders but not yet bothering to close it. The ties to her white hakama she tightened, but not with the annoyance she once bore. It was hard to hate something when, really, you didn't hate it, _and_ when it happened with great frequency. Yes, nothing eventful came of undoing the ties, but it was still fun to pick at the knot while she was blissfully unaware of it. Besides, it needed loosening if she wished to tuck in the hem of her haori anyway.

Deciding that the sash had fled the vicinity, Sesshomaru shrugged out of the fabric and draped it over the foot of the bed again, deciding to change very discretely into a kimono.

"Briefly," Sesshomaru stated, taking slow, deep breaths and feeling uncomfortable with a drying, slight sweat on his back. Two moans and a lick was the closest they had ever gotten to the next stage, and he needed a walk for many reasons. Or a nap in the snow. Face down. Or to just mate and get her hesitation over with so they could very thoroughly enjoy themselves multiple times a day. A small part of him wondered what the future record was for a man to be waiting things out with a woman. Whatever it was, Sesshomaru had a feeling that four and a half years would top it.

He could almost smell the small blush Kagome developed when, with a dark purple kimono on and his back to her, his hakama dropped to his feet for him to step out of.

"I should just come over there and give you a hug," he commented, selecting a white sash and wrapping it back about his waist. She bewildered him sometimes.

"And I would prefer that you not," she replied, voice slightly higher. Yep, she was blushing.

Tugging the sash securely and not bothering to fuss over an orderly appearance, leaving the front of the kimono somewhat more baggy than usual, he turned and hesitated.

Kagome studied him with a small smile. "I'd tell you that you look good, but you probably already know that."

That made him chuckle. "Yes, I do. Are you hung-?"

"I'm famished, let's go."

* * *

"How was your day?" Sesshomaru's mother asked far too merrily. She had taken their mealtime as an opportunity to talk in a very friendly, 'obviously non-invasive' fashion.

Thank goodness Sheng took it upon himself to guarantee it.

Kagome, for some unknown reason, felt very on-the-spot, and she ate her top-rank miso soup dutifully while pointedly ignoring any sort of attention from the woman sitting kitty-corner to her.

"It had been good," Sesshomaru supplied, completely at ease though his slight irritation shone through on the word 'had'.

"Excellent," Sheng initiated, changing the topic. "I have some matters to discuss, young Lord. Both personal and political."

Kagome, in her months of sometimes abundant exposure to their work, defined 'personal matters' as events taking place within the o-shiro, and 'political matters' as events taking place elsewhere. So far, her theory was holding true.

At Sesshomaru's nod, Sheng began, and a part of Kagome's mind wandered off for this while her chopstick wandered for some delicious pot stickers.

"First, Bashamon's seal requires rejuvenation soon."

'_Sheesh, already?'_ she couldn't help but thing. For not having wings, time certainly knew how to fly.

"That can be taken care of tonight," Sesshomaru supplied.

Kagome had the sinking dread akin to being told that a doctor's appointment wasn't too far away, but a part of her squealed giddily and wanted to send her running for that blasted stake. She had gone to strengthen that darn seal several times already, and it was becoming more -how would you call it…- 'enjoyable' than peculiar to feel Sesshomaru's energy twine through hers to access the Jewel. He could always teach her how to do it herself, but she had a pretty good idea that a part of him really didn't want to.

"Good," Sheng continued. "Also, Lord Le and myself have agreed that Kagome deserves more training, as she had requested earlier today. We plan on alternating, starting tomorrow. My temporary duties will be back in your hands as a result, Lord Sesshomaru."

Kagome gawked at Sheng, first for the sudden 'Lord' business and second for the statement, then glanced at Sesshomaru who approved of it, and then she dared a glimpse of his mother and quickly returned to dipping her next bite in a sauce and chewing. Couldn't that woman request some food to occupy herself with? At the very least she should remember to blink, just to break up that flat stare.

"Is that all for personal matters?" asked Sesshomaru.

"Yes, that was all. On with the political, the city of Edo is becoming a financial concern. Stray samurai are picking desperate followers out of the streets to try and build a fortress city elsewhere. You would think that they knew times were different, but humans are ceaselessly amazing creatures."

Edo... The future Tokyo. Kagome tried to remember how old the actual shrine was. She knew her house was very modern in comparison, and she could hardly wait for some wandering priest or priestess to deem the land sacred and build the shrine. It'd be interesting to see it without a house in the background. In fact, it would probably be a more scenic place.

Glancing up from her food with a soft smile nearly gave Kagome a heart attack. They were all staring at her, and for no apparent reason. What did she do? Did she have something on her face?

Sesshomaru looked away first, and his doing so drew Sheng's attention. Li Hua was perfectly content with continuously pondering Kagome though. "If the samurai are able to find followers, then something must change so that citizens are not willing to leave. Something to occupy their time with and make money from. ... I will compose a message for the current reining lord, advising an increase in trade and lowed taxes to promote production and employment." Sesshomaru looked at Kagome again, smiling ever so faintly. "Perhaps it will also entail that a miko of great stature shall visit to assert necessary changes. In two weeks."

Kagome blinked. Twice. "… _**Me**_?"

"Certainly," Sesshomaru affirmed, eying his rice but continuing without touching it. "You know the future city it will become, and even without complete education in these matters I am certain that living in your time has given you an eye for flaws in this era." She had barely gotten any of that, and chewed the words as he did another bite of food. "Besides, it seems that someone is needed to prompt the building of both the shrine and its grounds. You are obviously the most qualified person to oversee it."

Digesting this, Kagome put two and two together, and it equaled five. How did the topic change like that? It was almost as though they read her mind. ... The missing fact slipped into place and her lips pursed. Was there a smell for 'gee, I really, really miss home'? ... Well, that wasn't entirely out of the question. Still, she'd pummel him for an answer later, and for electing her like that, and then just for fun.

The meal finished rather uneventfully in uncharted conversation, which was a blessing in most ways. Kagome was still feeling illogically happy that Sesshomaru had actually eaten with her. A whole meal, too. Not just a few bites like any yōkai could get away with. In fact, when the conversation died and Sheng began chatting with Li Hua, Sesshomaru almost acted human with his appetite. The only things assuring her that he was still yōkai were his aura and his abnormal precision with chopsticks… When a grain of rice stuck to his upper lip and fell, Kagome couldn't help but to second guess who and what she was attracted to when he caught it at chest level with the chopsticks and without looking. She avoided commenting on it, supposing that in the eyes of everyone like her it would be like marveling at a child's ability to laugh.

'Tonight', it seemed, translated to 'immediately after lunch' for Sesshomaru.

"It's cold down here," Kagome commented to the silence, wanting to think about something else.

"Hm," she heard Sesshomaru, the only other person occupying the rather odd corridor. A while ago, she hadn't thought about there possibly being chambers _beneath_ the castle bit of the o-shiro. It made perfect sense though, taking into account the fact that said o-shiro was a huge bubble-barrier lifted into the air and managed by a barrier emitting orb, and the bottom half of said bubble contained all the earth supporting the buildings. Yes, that did make sense. About as much as a floating castle did in the first place, so there was just a conjoined sense of 'sensible' in the senseless reality of things. Yeah, she could work with that. After time traveling and playing 'dodge the demon' for a whole summer, then falling in love with a yōkai by first hating him, she was pretty immune to the shocking details surrounding her.

Kagome's train of thought hit an elephant when she felt Sesshomaru's arm slide up her back and his hand grasp her upper arm to hold her closer. She was amazed that they didn't fall flat on their faces, seeing as the relatively short part of the hall was pitch black, and then she mentally kick herself forgetting the obvious. Sesshomaru was too pompous to _not_ match her pace perfectly to avoid as much.

"Why are you irritated?" she heard him randomly ask.

"Pft… Because I let myself fall in love with a freakin' perfectionist."

She could almost hear him grinning as his strong hand gave her arm a loving squeeze. "No complaining."

"I can complain as much as I darn well please," she fired back, crossing her arms. Dear lord, she hated that corridor. Not as much as the cave in the mountain, but it definitely made her list. Cold, dark, a little damp, and occupying the abyss at the end of the tunnel was the equivalent of a slowly maddening ghost. Maybe, if her training went really well, she would be able to enhance her vision and stop tripping over her own damned feet. And regulate her body temperature. On the other hand, if it meant she'd have to smell and hear even more of the place at the same time, she'd probably pass…

Sesshomaru, always the mature one when compared to her, had let the previous topic go, sinking them into a silence interrupted only by her footsteps, and hers alone. It left her thinking on his arm around her, which reminded her of earlier that evening when she was warm without even being fully dressed. It made her smile.

"You were rather 'eager' earlier," she dared to comment to the dark. She didn't like the silence.

"Hn," was the reply, sounding to be amused. "As were you."

She balked. "I was **not**!"

"Oh?" came his voice in the dark. "Perhaps it was my imagination, but I distinctly recall some cooing and you grabbing my hand to place it on your bottom at some point."

The blood burned her flaming cheeks at that, and she tightened the knot of her crossed arms. "It was the heat of the moment, alright?"

The darkness chuckled. "You are not as innocent as you think you are."

"Ooh!" she seethed, settling for anger rather than embarrassment. In all honesty, his 'imagination' was not only accurate, but picked out one of the more innocent of the audacious little acts she had dared. "You… I! ... Be quiet."

Her frame narrowed slightly as he gave her another small squeeze, and for some damnable reason her annoyance began to fade in the wake of a little voice. It screamed 'he loves me, he loves me, he loves me' over and over again. "When I learn how to live longer, I'm going to Tahiti for a decade…"

"M-hm," he hummed with exaggeration. "You would get bored."

"Then I'd tour Europe for half a century…" she continued almost dreamily. "After that, maybe travel the world until my brother graduates in the future, _then_ I'll become an astronaut and defy the laws of nature by undressing from that bulky spacesuit and tap-dancing on the surface of the moon until the words 'I am so not bored' get stamped across its face just so you can see every nearly every night."

Mentally, Kagome began marking a point for herself. Then Sesshy opened his mouth.

"And after that?"

"You're impossible!" she bellowed, hoping his ears hurt.

"Oh," he challenged, "_I_ am the difficult one?"

She huffed, then shuddered when she felt watched.

"Ah," came an eerie exhale, cool and spiteful. "Young love. So tender and feeble."

This was the part that reminded Kagome of the hospital. The dark, damp tunnel of no return she could handle. The being who was trapped for all of insanity in its depths, no. There was just something really, really bad about him (even when disregarding the various attacks and Japan-domination he had attempted) and she blamed the vengeance he'd be seeking for what the Jewel in her had done to his lost body. At least, she could so long as Sesshomaru's telling of the story was one hundred percent accurate. Okay, maybe she'd sharpen her sense of smell, too, just to catch him in any possible lies. She hated him having that advantage over her.

"How is your sanity, Bashamon?" Sesshomaru greeted heartlessly, as he always did. It was quite the habit.

"Lingering," came the proverbial answer.

Kagome couldn't see the barrier as she stepped closer, but feeling it in her mind was enough. Her eyes followed the approaching edge blindly, and its icy composition licked across her flesh as she passed through it, starting at her toes and moving up as she penetrated the spherical wall.

Memories of her first trip to Bashamon's seal flashed through her. The conditions and circumstances were always the same, and with her unable to see the thoughts flourished. There were definitely differences now. Sesshomaru had his arm around her, for starters, and when he let go only to hold her hand and guide it down to the sealing stake, she held his back rather than wonder over the alien feel of touching him.

'_We've come a long way, huh?'_ she thought, recognizing against her fingers the smooth and ornately carved post which bound Bashamon to this world in place of the Jewel. She rubbed her fingers across its top until it rest in the dip of her palm, then grasped and waited.

It all happened so quickly of late. That, or it had seemed to be an eternity the first time, thanks to her roiling emotions. She winced her eyes as a red light bathed the surroundings, which happened to be a tapered off hallway carved into the earth and supported by thick beams of wood. She had grown accustomed to seeing the interior of Bashamon's new prison. What still put her on edge in the most illogical way was the sensation of Sesshomaru's energy. That raw power of the youki he wielded. It unfolded from him, a flame of might which pierced the air on its way to enveloping her.

Kagome bit her lip, reminding herself to stay calm and to ignore the wordless screams from her miko powers. She had attacked Sesshomaru the first time they tried this, lashing out in an instinctive frenzy to the point that he had to grab her. This time she did a remarkable job of convincing herself that the licking tendrils of youki were okay. They would not hurt her, and their warmth was neither a burning nor a poison. It was simply Sesshomaru, and he felt that power course through him every instant of his life, so she could handle it briefly.

When Kagome was completely covered, and that small voice in her head began vibrating with terror, she inhaled and sighed. His energy washed against her, like rolling heat waves, feeling every inch of her body and waiting. She needed to surrender. It was an odd thing to admit, let alone do, especially when you called it that, but there was no better word for it. Sesshomaru had yipped at her to 'be calm' the first time, and she hadn't understood. She hadn't known that 'be calm' was the equivalent of opening up to him.

Relaxation ran a jolt down her nerves, being the small snaps of disconnection her muscles received as her powers retracted towards her 'core', opening the superficial passages which channeled energy. It felt like the cold and dropping sensation of worry and fear, or of shock, and she wondered if her energy really did that at such times as well. It had taken a long time for Kagome to distinguish her core. It was not the center of her body, not a designated focus of her mind, or a point of balance. It was her 'beginning', where the will for the next heartbeat urged, and the truest of emotions and experiences which defined her resided. It was the part of her which surged and swirled warmly in her times of greatness, and which shied and tightened during moments of foolishness. It was just her, just as being a miko was just being herself. Maybe she could call it her soul, but she would have to die to further define it.

And despite how poetic one's core sounded, it really was simply an everyday thing. It just took some time to recognize it.

Heat rushed into her, pulsing in opposition of her heartbeat as it traveled through her surface, dominating the area it occupied and making her fingers grow numb and hot. And then she felt the Jewel, a third energy within her. Isolated, it awoke, leaked an almost powdery offer of supremacy in exchange for freedom. Her energy wanted to leap out and enshroud it, to hide it from the more curious and influential youki, and she again reminded herself.

Rather than becoming tainted, the fluffy and immaterial strength of the Shikon no Tama was _pulled_. Like honey. Guided out and cradled in the confines of Sesshomaru's youki. It shot down her arm painlessly and seeped from her into the seal.

And then it was done. It took all of two seconds since her touching the stake, and it left her breathing a little more heavily. She felt cold when the youki left, and her energy leaped out to fill her selfishly, tingling with inspection for any damage. There was none. These sessions never harmed her, merely tested her trust and self-control.

Sesshomaru lifted her hand off the seal, and she watched him, radiating with energy, as he eased her up onto her feet and they stepped for the edge of the barrier.

"Until next time," Bashamon bid farewell, laughing in a show of slacking mental well being. It made Kagome shudder, as did walking through the cold barrier and the sudden plunge into darkness when Sesshomaru's power withdrew and settled into him again.

They were quiet, walking hand in hand since neither found it absolutely necessary to let go, and she laced her fingers between his. When they were a good distance away, Kagome spoke up. "Why _do_ you keep your energy out until we pass the barrier? You always do it, and I can't figure it out."

She sensed some hesitation in his reply, but it sounded perfectly normal if only a little belated. "You are weaker now. It is a precaution to prevent Bashamon taking advantage of that."

Weaker? She wasn't weaker. She certainly didn't feel like it. "How so?"

Having only her hearing and the strength of Sesshomaru's hand in hers was exasperating during conversations, especially when he was quiet with thought. "The simplest way to explain it is that you bear a temporary youki path through your energy. Yōkai can sense and exploit it, if given the chance, and there is little you would be able to do to prevent it."

It seemed he had more to say, but what already came out his mouth had her stopped dead in her tracks and silenced him.

"You… You've been doing _**what**_to me for all these months?!" she demanded loudly.

"It is extremely temporary," the darkness explained with his voice. "It lasts no longer than a few minutes."

"That doesn't matter!" she fired back.

"You have always been safe."

"That _**also**_ doesn't matter!" Kagome yelled, mad but scared more than anything. No wonder she had a mini panic attack every time they strengthened the seal. He was burning holes in her natural defenses! "You should have at least told me!"

Shifting fabric hinted at a shrug. Or shuffling feet… She doubted but preferred the latter. "What would having told you sooner, now, or later accomplished?"

She bristled, and was about ready to march past him stubbornly despite the guarantee of a flat and bleeding nose and a silently mocking rock wall. "You should have told me _sooner_, and it would have… It would have made me feel better!"

"Really?" he asked, giving her the brief vision of him wearing jeans and bearing a high school backpack. It was quite disturbing. If anything, he'd be in college. "Define 'sooner'."

"'Sooner' being before we first did this!" she clarified.

"When we were at odds with one another?" he inquired.

The only noise out of her mouth was the sound of her teeth clicking shut, and she bunched her lips irritably. He had a point. Damn it. And being 'at odds' was putting her past grudging despise for him mildly. "You still should have told me…"

Her other hand was taken, and she flinched and looked down at her darkness swallowed extremities, then followed them blindly up as they were lifted. She didn't have to see Sesshomaru to know he was smiling over this argument before he kissed her fingers. "Alright. Would you now like to be informed of something ahead of time?"

Frowning at his mouth, since hearing his words was the only lead her eyes had, she wondered what the catch was. "Would I prefer to be in candlelight so I can find and beat you for it?"

His chuckle whittled lazily away at her frustration. "Perhaps."

"Then let's hear it now," she sighed. If she had half a chance in light, it would only be to embarrass herself in attempting to do horrible things to him. Maybe only somewhat horrible things… It really depended on how much longer he continued massaging her now upright hands with his thumbs. He really did play with her emotions like a game of chess, and some day it was going to start making her mad.

"Hm," he began, working slow circles in her palms. "It may differ for miko, but in late pregnancy yōkai women are weakened in the same way by their offspring's foreign energy."

A small trickle of worry washed down Kagome's back, ebbing away quickly. "You should have told me later…"

He almost purred rather than hummed, and she stapled down a shiver with her will alone. "What would that have mattered?"

"I may just not want to take that chance," she stated sternly.

"Really?" he asked again, the little massage slightly intensifying and making her go all soft and simpering.

"Yeah… And I hate you…"

"You love me," he said matter-of-factly, now merely holding her hands. "And I am not going to allow you to forget that."

Kagome opened her mouth to continue the argument, and it turned into one of the most sudden and erotic kisses she had ever been exposed to. They both left the underground corridor in an exceptionally good mood, though her hair was a little messy. Having fun in total darkness was just exciting.

* * *

"Almost," Sheng encouraged from behind his sake cup.

Last night had been very enjoyable, and that bit of goodness was being completely made up for now. Boy, she had a monster of a headache. "It hurts…"

"I know," Sheng lied, refilling the cup to sip at it for the next ten minutes. "That is because you are trying too hard."

Kagome almost threw a fit, and let go of her energy entirely to slump with her elbows on the table and her chin between her fists.

"You know he will-"

"Assume that I gave up," she finished while bottling up her lingering spiritual powers, not caring and thinking only on how sore her whole body was. "We've been at this for hours. I think I've hollowed out my bones by now."

Today was Sheng's claimed time to train her. She should have taken the last session from ages ago as a hint and have run away. There was just one small little problem to that though, and it was the fact that she wanted to learn how to use what she unlocked under his tutelage. She couldn't say 'no' to Sesshomaru forever, after all. In fact, she was quite impressed and proud of herself already. "If you're working me up so I have to get hot, vomit every five minutes, cramp up, freeze, get nauseous _again_, become agonizingly paralyzed, and get the throbbing migraine from damnation itself, just to say that I've 'widened my connection', I'm going to hurt you."

Sheng grinned happily at her. "Your memory of that is excellent!"

"It's been ingrained," she grumbled. "A full day of Hell, and for what?"

"For this," Sheng answered. "I was hoping this day would come, and now it has. I must admit, you took your time."

Kagome blinked at him. "… **Whut**??"

"I said-"

"I heard you," she assured calmly. "It was merely an offer that you save your prophesizing ass before I beat it in every way fathomable."

His smile wouldn't go away. "Has anyone ever told you that you are positively adorable when you're -How had you said it…- 'righteously ticked'?"

"You have until the count of three to apologize for your unforgivable sarcasm…"

Sheng quirked a brow at her. "If it is unforgivable, then I would rather bypass the useless pleading and see what you could possibly do to me."

"Oh, I'll show you," she assured, shifting to get a little more comfortable on her throbbing, numbing bottom. Her energy flared to life under her skin, filling every gap between her nerves and making her tingle, and she began concentrating on where she felt it and what movement patterns each area within her made, just as he had told her to do. He said to start with her hands and feet, and work her way inwards. "Right after I learn this, you'll see. I'll singe you hairless."

* * *

Sesshomaru was having minor difficulties keeping his curiosity in check. Yesterday had him on his toes wondering over her progress with Sheng, and today had him worried over her safety with Le. He gave quite the entertaining lecture to the councilman over the physical and mental wellbeing of Kagome, but it all turned out to be far less than reassuring when sudden and silent explosions of her energy erratically erupted in any given area on o-shiro grounds. The total effect had Sesshomaru wondering whether or not he really wanted the whole process to begin anew the next day.

"Sesshomaru," his mother vaguely scolded, and he refocused on her and Sheng. Kagome's training was one thing. One completely unrelated to his own. It felt odd being lectured again, but in all honesty there is always something to learn when being re-established as a Lord, especially when the information changes.

Sensing the same yipping argument on one's attention span as Sesshomaru did, Sheng voiced up. "Please recite the major trade route seaports of Japan in relative order of corresponding commerce."

This request had Sesshomaru's patience writhing, but it was nonetheless important. Knowing the ports was useful for not only trade routes but also for transportation, the latter of which was applicable to both the population shifts and war strategies of humans. It seemed demeaning to be drilled on trade, seeing as it changed with remarkable frequency, but it was a leading factor in human actions. Kagome's energy popped again, and he began listing the ports.

He missed seven out of nearly three hundred, and spent another half an hour not only repeating the list correctly -after challenging the information and being proven wrong- but also stating why he assumed their placement of importance.

This was one of his mother's favorite things to do to him, but she had thousands of years to become quite numb to the boredom and could now merely accepted the information without judgment.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, still found all of this schooling to be quite stupid…

* * *

A full week passed, and Kagome found herself babying her head while laying in Sesshomaru's bed. Hell, she might as well be there. Neither of them preferred otherwise, after all, and she quite enjoyed just knowing he would be there soon, crawling into bed and snuggling in. The thought still gave her shivers and a silly grin

Yes. That would happen very soon, _unless_ that meeting he mentioned last night would last longer than absolutely necessary… They worked him like the species he was, and despite the fact that he was built to stay in one meeting for a whole week straight, that didn't mean they should do it. Which they hadn't. In fact, Kagome got every night with him, but they shouldn't keep him any longer…

"I feel like the whining wife of a businessman," Kagome told herself, only mildly insane at the moment. Overall, the training was beginning to tax on her. All of the other training she had ever undertaken, save for the small amount Sesshomaru had begun showing her, had been physical. This, on the other hand, was almost a psychological adventure to the inane, and it left her mentally exhausted and worn every night. And to think that Le said she should feel lucky to require sleep as an excuse for a break. The old stubborn bastard… He had also told her to be grateful that Seshsomaru had forbidden him from the 'life or death' teaching method, but she was more appreciative of the fact than mad.

The sliding door hissed open, and Kagome flipped sides eagerly to see- "… Oh, hi, Jia."

"Sorry," the young yōkai apologized with a small wince, stepping in and closing the door with one hand. Her other was occupied with Kagome's miko garb and some other fabrics, all nicely folded into a short stack. She hadn't seen those for a few days, and was growing oddly comfortable with wearing silk kimono everywhere. They were particularly enjoyable when one had no undergarments on. Besides, the training wasn't physical, so why not wear the pressured finery? "How was your day?"

"Ugh," Kagome answered, flopping back down onto an odd pillow. Jia had passed word around about a wondrous bag of feathers to rest one's head on for sleep. Under Kagome's cheek was an attempt by someone with free time, and although it was better than folded fabrics, she could have gone without the feather stems violating at least one part of her from the neck up with every shift she made. Kagome really didn't want to complain though, after all the work they'd done. Maybe, after seeing red dots all over her, they'd figure out to use the soft and fluffy down feathers rather than clipped flight feathers.

Then came a sudden and displeasing thought. "Jia, was this pillow boiled?"

"… Boiled?" asked the young yōkai slowly.

Kagome grabbed a corner of it and dropped the bag of feathers onto the floor, feeling icky. "Never mind. How was your day?"

That began a five minute spilling of the day's best gossip, none of it pertaining to the hottest couple on the block, of course. And that was good. Kagome didn't want to hear her life incorrectly reiterated.

Jia could have probably gone on for hours, but she decided to close her mouth until next time and excused herself when a particularly handsome lord entered his rooms.

"Hey there, sexy," Kagome grinned, her heart singing a little song. That sentence made Jia's footsteps trip up outside, and Kagome was just humored at all the stories THAT comment would spurn.

The amusement got rubbed out when Sesshomaru turned around after closing the door.

"… What were you talking about?" she asked, somewhat concerned.

He blinked at her curiously. "Nothing unusual. Why?"

Kagome scooted to the edge of the bed farthest from him, and beaconed with some pats. "Because you look exhausted."

A frown adorned his face as he began to disrobe. "Do I?"

"U-huh," she confirmed, thinking. "Do you _feel_ tired?"

Relief twittered in her chest when he smiled lazily. "Very."

Perhaps it was wrong to enjoy watching a stunning specimen of humanoid male undress while feeling bothered over his wellness, but the majority of her didn't give a darn as the moving sculpture unveiled nicely developed muscles while flowing in movement. What could she say, he was built for perfection, and she really couldn't hate everything about that. Damn, he was sexy…

"I thought you could stay awake for more than a week at a time," she stated.

"Yes," he confirmed. If his replies weren't traditionally clipped, they definitely were when he was weary.

"Didn't you sleep well last night?" she asked, wondering if she snorted or something even more humiliating.

At that he stopped what he was doing and regarded her again. "I did not sleep."

Kagome's eyebrows raced for her hairline. "What did I do?"

That small frown of his returned, and she knew that for a split second he found her to be as insane as she felt. "You slept soundly. And drooled a little, like anyone else would when on their stomach."

She was never sleeping on her stomach again… "That kept you awake?"

Sesshomaru blinked. Twice. Then smiled and began walking over to the wall which held his wardrobe, hakama swishing faintly. "No. Nothing you do in your sleep would keep me awake should I choose to rest."

Kagome pondered that as a drawer opened, and she abruptly felt affronted. "You don't sleep with me?"

A faint, almost regretting sigh interjected their conversation. "No."

The heat of a very healthy blush swirled into her face, and she pouted with annoyance at his back. "Not like that, you pervert."

"Hm," he intoned, pulling out a long gone accessory of his. Kagome stared at his insanely huge fur boa as it was flicked over his right shoulder, and like magic it moved to nestle against his skin just as it always did. "The first time I fell asleep in your premises, you unreasonably shoved me off the bed and onto the floor."

Her jaw flapped. "Wh-? I-! … You're holding a _grudge_??"

"No," he denied calmly. "I am merely stating a fact. And yes, I have fallen asleep with you, but I do not do so every time."

"So then what do you do all night?!" she demanded, becoming flustered. "Just… _lay_ there and watch me doze??"

"Sometimes," he answered, not phased in the least. "Usually I use the time to think, and listen to you."

Kagome was fully armed to dispute this stalker behavior of his, but an even more jarring subject bared itself for debate. Literally.

"Ack!" she yelped, yanking the blankets to her eyes and facing her drawn up knees when the very nice image of his bottom seared itself permanently into her mind's eye. "What are you doing!"

"I prefer sleeping nude," he said bluntly. His energy stirred briefly, and she peeked at her fingers to see that only moonlight lit her skin. She needed to learn that candle choking trick he just used… "You are more than welcome to join me."

Her heart was galloping, and it skidded to a dead halt when she felt the blankets tug and the mattress shift. She waited, glued in place, but when nothing happened she dared a peek.

He was laying down on his front, the blankets up to cover all but what she was quite accustomed to seeing. His face was pillowed mostly by his left forearm, the loose corresponding fingers tucked just under and against his hidden breast, and his other arm was simply up near his head for comfort's sake.

Kagome stared at his being completely relaxed for a few seconds, and flinched when his eyes opened little more than halfway to regard her.

"Maybe I should go?" she offered spontaneously, feeling funny after being caught watching him.

"Not necessary," he assured, lids dropping as he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "As I said, you will not be able to disturb me, short of shoving me off the bed."

She smirked sheepishly, not knowing what to do. She looked over when something started patting, and saw his unhindered hand unhurriedly mimicking her inviting gesture.

Very deep shivers echoed quickly in her and she fidgeted. Initially, she wanted to shy away, knowing he was naked save for that fur of his, but another part of her argued that he was **not** on his back and that if she ever wanted to grow accustomed to him at any given instant then she should start sooner than later.

A playfully daring side woke up then to dispatch her uncertainty more easily, and with minimal thinking she began smiling whilst undoing the ties of her clothing. "Hold on a sec."

Squirming quite a bit further beneath the blankets, she got the more simple juban's tie undone and squirmed out of the swath of nighttime fabric.

'_You naughty, naughty girl,'_ she told herself happily, pushing the safety of her warm clothing aside with her feet before crawling closer to Sesshomaru under the cover of bedding and relative darkness.

Reaching him, she curled against his side, stretched her left arm over his back, and rested her head comfortably on his shoulder where she had a clear view of his face. He looked pleased that she was touching him. She just had to see what other emotion he'd produce in a few moments.

As she relaxed he shifted, the normal process of them becoming comfortable together. Then his brows pinched and he shifted some more before stilling. "… Are you…?"

"Touch me and live to regret it," she dared, wondering how much suffering his will could handle at such a moment. Even she was tickling over the feel of his thigh and hip rubbing against her bare legs and abdomen, and to distract herself she began to scratch his back on her side of his pelt.

Silence ensued, and he was the stillest thing in existence. "This is not fair."

"I know," she teased. "But you're tired, so let's just go to sleep."

Surprisingly, he made no argument, disappointing her anticipation for a qualm he couldn't win. So she waited, raking across his well toned back and wondering how long it could take for him to think up something else.

Nothing was happening though.

A little put off, Kagome tilted her head slightly to see him better, and stopped. Sesshomaru had fallen asleep. Sure, he was probably great at pretending, but something almost instinctive told her that he wasn't conscious. There was an unmistakable peace in the looseness of his expression, a completely carefree parting of his lips, and his breathing was very slow; and deep, but not in the sense of drawing in a lot of air. He was just… Asleep.

Still absentmindedly scratching, Kagome grinned foolishly and nuzzled comfortable against him before very, very gradually stilling her hand. Smoothing her hand under his fluffy boa fur pelt thingy-ma-bob, her palm cupped his side which was not nestled between her breasts and rested there for the night. A intriguing calming emotion trickled throughout her as she relaxed against the man who wanted to marry her. With that in mind, she thought that falling asleep would be difficult. It wasn't.

* * *

The only indication to herself that Kagome _had_ dozed off was a new numbness in her right arm and severely shifted shadows. Then there was the thing that had awakened her, and oddly enough it had her thinking 'what on earth is that so very comfortable feeling?'

Not too troubled, and groggy in spite of feeling like she had just blinked, Kagome dared a peek at Sesshomaru. He did indeed prove to be a very good pillow by not moving an inch in his sleep, and she foresaw many a comfortable nights. After affirming his state of being, she began investigating hers, and drew her arm from across his back to bring it along her side.

It was huge, lusciously soft, and wrapped around her like a plushy boa _constrictor_.

'_Oh no,'_ she thought while blanching, pushing down on the fur to get it off the bulge of her hip. It really didn't want to. Instead of shifting down, it flexed more securely around her, and this made her stomach flip. _'Oh no, no, no… Off, get it off!'_

Alright, the fur boa thing wasn't a crocodile eating Amazon python, but waking up to having something you did not give permission to wrap around you was almost as bad.

'_Why, for the love of decency, did he bring this to bed with him?'_ she asked herself, trying to twist slowly out of the furry spring she was caught in the center of. For every tug, it curled, and every pull resulted in a slip along her skin, making the whole scenario very pleasingly disturbing.

'_This is ridiculous,'_ she cursed inside, easing away from Sesshomaru so she could torture the thing off of her. It acted like it had a mind of its own. How freaky was that?

After about five gruesomely frustrating minutes she got the idea of just biting the damn thing. It would have worked wonders, if the odd flinching clench it gave at the very thought didn't hint otherwise. When it loosened slightly, she grabbed the opportunity by the tail, literally, and yanked.

Said tail had been between her knees, and was then pulled quickly up… She was not good at basic math when deprived of sleep.

"YEEEEEAAAAGH!!" she yelped, trying to jump away from the intense violation of personal space. The edge of the bed met her bottom, which was more than her flung back hand found, and soon momentum had her falling with a dull clatter to the ground.

"Oooow…" Kagome whimpered, rubbing the back of her head and removing her lower right leg off the low laying futon mattress so she could settle completely on the floor. If that wasn't enough, the damn fur thing was completely limp, and gathering it up she lifted it over her head to fling back to its owner, and instead she found its owner looking over the edge at her.

"… What are you doing?" Sesshomaru asked oh so innocently. Damn his ability to not sleep for days at a time, get a few hours in, and look absolutely pristine minus some sleepiness.

"Being molested by a fuzz ball!" she yipped. Kagome felt her spirit ascending from mortification, and with a scream she brought the damned fur to her lap and covered herself. 'I thought you said you'd sleep through anything' were the first accusing words out of her.

"Not if you plan on shaming Tenseiga with your superior ability of waking the dead," Sesshomaru countered, getting comfortable with his face in a folded hand. "I will be taking my pelt back now, if you would."

Tensing for the rush of defiance, Kagome straightened her back slightly and shuffled her toes. "Turn around."

"I would rather not," he stated, the shadow of a smile beginning.

"Whatever you have in your head, it's not funny."

"Of course not."

"…" He wasn't moving. "You're not getting this back until you turn around."

The edge of his well developed canine showed in half a grin. "Do you not recall that I have seen you naked before? Regardless of five seconds ago."

Kagome pinched the fur. "I was in the bath, you openly peeping Tom, and the Jewel had reappeared. Why _else_ would I expose myself to you? … And that was **ages** ago."

For some reason he was now smiling, and it made her wonder if she proved to be more of an entertaining peep show now than- Never mind. There was just something unattractive about developing girls in the light of healthy maturity. To the well in mind, at least.

"You'll get your damn groping fur," she began bitterly, wondering how long this little spat of theirs was going to last and what outcome it would bring, "when you turn around."

He held out his hand. She almost spat in it as a means of arguing.

"I could just take it," Sesshomaru began to ponder aloud. "Or will it to me. There is more satisfaction in taking direct action though. Or you could begin to squirm, that would be fun."

Barely monitoring her balance, Kagome yanked the hand holding her off the floor from behind her back, jerked upright, and jabbed a finger at him. "So you **were** moving this ten foot furry mass around me!"

"Hm. No."

"… What?" she asked from behind her slightly shaking hand. It didn't fancy that position after having held her up for a few minutes beforehand.

"Perhaps in a way," he adjusted. "It is very subconscious. Like you when you move or talk in your sleep."

Talk? She _did_ that? How often? What did she say? What was she dreaming about? Please be about math, or anything unrelated to him. Oh dear lord, had she drooled at the same time? Wait. "Don't change the subject!"

"Fine," he agreed, sticking his hand out again.

Crap. "… What do you mean, 'subconscious'? Is it really part of you? I know this can bleed, but that's about it."

"Now you are the one changing the subject," he commented, fingering an edge seam of the cotton filled mattress.

"Just tell me," she argued, surprisingly not too uncomfortable now over the situation. Sure, he was seeing an immensely little less of her than he had over four years ago, but that was dwindling in importance. Maybe she could relate it to a bathing suit? A really comfy white bathing suit which animal rights activists would drench in red paint. Then again, had anything died to make that if it had blood? "And start with where it came from."

That earned her a flat stare. "That is not obvious?"

"_No_ it's not _obvious_," she snipped halfheartedly.

Sesshomaru gave up on staying vertical in any sense and rolled onto his back, the crown of his head almost pointing at her. If she wanted to make a dash for her clothes, that was the time. Instead, she just sat there and waited. It was going to take a little while if he was getting comfortable first.

"Have you noticed where it goes when I transform?"

"Oye," she sighed, pinching her temples with one hand. He was going to make her think, and it was probably four in the morning. "I'm not sure. That was ages ago, when you and InuYasha were fighting in your dad's remains. … And that wasn't too classy, either."

He shrugged, the sheets rustling faintly.

"Is it that huge swath of fur that goes over your shoulder from your chest to your back?" she guessed.

"M-hm," she was verified. "Strong yōkai are born with them. It is nature's assistant, since the youki would otherwise course in a raw form through its host until they died. Pelts though, sharing blood and flesh with their closest kin, not only filter the energy first but also store and dismiss it until an older yōkai decides the child is ready to learn how to control it."

While mental images of his possible childhood slinked through her thoughts, Kagome scooted closer to the bed, and was leaning her back to it when her next question came to mind. "It's like Shippo's fur, right? I thought he'd grow out of it when he got bigger, but it just seemed to grow, too."

"Yes," Sesshomaru confirmed simply. Rather than continue, he paused and began to speculate aloud. "One would assume that you would have been given some physical aid as well, being a miko, after so many generations of evolution."

That was curious. "I guess spiritual energy isn't as… wild?"

"Possibly. It is far more deadly to go without an aid though."

"No it's not," she countered automatically. It couldn't be. … Could it? He had said before that youki creates, and spiritual energy destroys.

"It is," he stated. "Which is why you should have been born with a buffer. Something to keep you away from it until you were ready."

Kagome couldn't help but to shrug. "I dunno. Maybe it's because miko are miko via their soul rather than heritage, or because I'm not a spiritual animal manifestation. Maybe it's all just stored in my head, and came as I got older and learned some things. Hm, scientists say that only a small percent of the human brain is used, anyway. Maybe that's it." Reading the silence as Sesshomaru's way of considering the possibilities, she let it last until her curiosity got the best of her. "So, what kind of a connection do you have with this pelt if you can make it move without touching it? Just by thinking?"

There was a shifting, and Kagome glanced out of her peripheral to see him nod. His eyes were closed again. He was probably still really tired. She would be, too, if she couldn't sleep at all through the equivalent of eight days of classes and homework assignments. "Not exactly that way. It is more like and uncommonly used muscle, or like a detached tail. It takes practice to learn how to utilize it."

She could understand the unused muscle bit. She still couldn't wiggle her ears no matter how much she thought about doing it while staring in the mirror as a kid. Then memory lane merged with a fork in the road, and she found herself playing with the long and thick fur between her fingers. "So, can you store energy in this?"

"Yes," he replied.

"How much?" she asked, wondering what kind of unit of measurement this sort of thing had.

"Hm. A lot," was his first answer, which made her roll her eyes. Some unit. Most guys used it. "In prime conditions, I could fight and hold my own fully transformed for two days without drawing on more than what my pelt can store. In fact, I cannot filter youki while in that state. No yōkai can. It is too stressful and demanding."

Turning to face him, Kagome looked on in shock. He actually admitted something to be stressful and demanding. It made her feel as warm and fuzzy inside as she felt outside, thanks to a certain something bundled over her. "Hm. So, random question, can you feel through the pelt? Like, if someone touches it?"

"Yes. And distance does not hinder that."

A brilliantly wicked new game came to mind. How to get the Sesshy out of a meeting using only his pelt. Then that thought backfired. "You can feel me right now, can't you?"

"It is very distracting," he admitted, and when her fingers stopped she felt the thing move against her stilled palm.

Well, so much for saving decency. She dug around the blankets for her yukata and dropped a good portion of the pelt over his upturned face. "You could have told me sooner."

"Again, what good would that have done?" he asked, not moving the fur as she slid into her short cotton robe of a pajama outfit. She needed to roll from her bottom to her knees and feel around to find the tie, and when she tightened it about her midriff he shifted his pelt from his line of sight. It remained touching him, and she marveled over how it must feel from his perspective. She enjoyed the fur because it was just so big and soft, hated it because it could move on its own, but to have an innate bond with it as well? It probably felt like being whole again. Like getting a tail painlessly re-attached. If that were the case, why ever tuck it away? Li Hua wore hers everywhere, draped over both shoulders to hold the back of her head. Then there was Sheng, who pretty much never wore it that Kagome noticed. Maybe furs needed a break from time to time as well? Or maybe Sesshomaru was just recharging it?

It was hard to tell, especially when she didn't voice the questions. She was in no hurry to get the answers though. Certainly not at that hour. "Want to play hooky tomorrow? Erm, today?"

That got her a look, maybe since she hadn't argued with him like she usually did on such points. "What is hooky?"

"It's skipping lessons," she supplied. That was the easiest if not the best way to describe it to him. "Come on. I've been on this darn floating castle for far too long. Let's go to Edo!" Excitement billowed in her and she scrambled onto the bed next to him, and that required more hopping than crawling since her yukata kept her knees fairly useless. "And you can't go visiting Lords and whatnot. No business. Just a day of fun! We could, I dunno, eat crappy human food and go glass-less window shopping, and- Oh! Let's walk the beach! Can we go walk on the beach? It's so nice, and there might be shells!"

She didn't stop blathering until realizing that the slight shake that she was slowly beginning to notice wasn't her, it was Sessohmaru silently laughing.

Slapping his shoulder, Kagome crossed her arms and huffed in the opposite direction of him. A great irritable mood was charging up her horizon like a bunch of opinionated little hers in samurai armor upon energetic steeds. Then a hand settled on her lower back, rubbing slowly on its way to grab her hip, and as she was pulled closer to Sesshomaru said steeds stopped with shock, and said Kagomes went flying over said steeds heads into the dirt. To put it more simply, her mood was shot to Hell in a hand basket.

"I am not about to deny you something which brings you such joy," Sesshomaru cajoled, having sat up some time while her back was stubbornly to him. Her hand sank down the depression made by his own, and she moved her fingers over his, sending them bouncing like a kid's stick along a picket fence. For some reason she always smiled while touching him, and she hadn't noticed that until then. The very masculinity, the strength without the bulkiness some men had, of his hand made her happy. She was absolutely hopeless, but it was nice knowing she had his probably undying permission to be affectionate towards him. They had come a _long_ ways since nearly hating each other. Twice…

"Hm," he hummed as she fiddled, and she was pulled back just enough to be up against his chest. "I will not deny you myself, either, if I am so pleasing to you."

Kagome's hand stilled. "You just **slaughtered** a moment."

"Did I?" he asked through a short chuckle, and she felt his hand smooth to her abdomen. "Let us make another one."

"Screw you," she scoffed, lifting her hand off his, replacing it on the bed somewhere else, and having it slide with gravity back to his. Dammit, he wasn't giving her enough room to be offended. In fact, he seemed ready to just wrap around her, with his hand to one side, his torso to her back, and now she noticed his legs were slowly sliding up to her other side, and his hand was snaking more securely about her middle, and- Oh, flame it and douse it! She was becoming the prey again! "I'm going to go to bed."

"Are you?" he asked. That simple question started a whole hour of entertainment, which started with cursing, was filled with laughing, and it ended with Kagome cursing at him again when she realized that the sky was light gray with warning of sunrise.

"That's it!" she yelled, yanking her freshly cleaned hakama up under her yukata, securing them, and then throwing what she was supposed to sleep in aside to put on her haori. "We're going now!"

"Going?" he asked, _still_ looking great for the few hours of sleep he had gotten.

When she frowned at him, the various fun incidents of having yelled at him to keep the blankets on from the waist down while they teased one another came rushing back, and she shook her head with a small smile, pissed at the fact that she couldn't keep her moods in check around him anymore. "Yes, dammit, we're going to Edo. Now get dressed because we're leaving in three minutes."

At least, they would have left if Sheng hadn't found out and thrown a hissy fit.

"But little Li Hua will have my hide if I let Sesshomaru leave his lesson," Sheng tried when guilt tripping Kagome into staying for Le's training didn't work. As a direct result, Sheng was arguing with her, and Sesshomaru had made a comment on who gave permission around there. The question wasn't answered. Not directly.

"Then let her have it," Kagome huffed, listening to the odd clinks of thick old coins as Sesshomaru counted them. She didn't need to spend anything, but it was always fun knowing there was a reservoir if something gorgeous came along. "I've been renting mine out to you and Le for a week. I need a break, and I'm taking Sesshomaru hostage."

The clinking stopped, then continued.

"That's quite the way of putting it," Sheng commented. "Seeing as you can't leave without him."

"I could jump," she argued, half her mind completely off the topic and imagining just what sorts of things were considered to be gorgeous in Edo.

"A guard eating lunch would hear you scream, walk outside, step off, and catch you and bring you back up before you'd hit the ground," Sheng stated smugly.

"Yeah? I'd purify him if he touched me," she fired back, her anxiousness to leave spiking at the unmistakable sound of a small drawstring bag closing.

"I'm accompanying you to Edo then," Sheng sighed. This almost made Kagome blow a gasket at the thought of losing great one-on-one time with Sesshomaru, but then the old yōkai continued. "And when we arrive we will part ways. I have a sake brewer to visit."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised," she said through a smile.

They managed to arrive when the sun was just cradled by the lowest edge of Mount Fuji, and that promised bustling streets. Perfect.

Kagome walked contently against Sesshomaru's side, the early summer morning chilled yet pleasant. She wore her white miko garb, standing out but not too severely in the crowd. Sesshomaru was wearing mostly white as well, including his traditional garb of hakama over a kimono. He also had on a darker blue vest, of sort. It was like a style lacking, waist length happi coat with the sleeves tailored off. It didn't close in the front, either, and damn did he make it look good. So, on top of his height he was also stunning to passerby. Then again, rub mud all over him, and he'd still pull off being quite the sight. Kagome should have expected that they would be stared at. Then again, the thought of them looking like quite the item had her in even higher spirits. Now she could hardly wait to learn how to further train herself and get cracking on their relationship.

"Ooh!" she sang out when gorgeous item number one came into view, and she pointed. "Look at that! Isn't it pretty?"

Her attention made the merchant's day, especially when she couldn't resist hurrying with the remaining ten feet through the sparse yet bustling crowd and looking down at the trinket. What it happened to be was a simple yet eye catching hand mirror. The frame was of a very dark blue, bringing out her eyes when she gazed into it, and the surface was perfectly flat save for a small carved out bubble indent's edge at the upper left portion of the oval.

Kagome grinned down at herself in it, and at a simple question regarding color the man behind the table hustled happily around and picked up the item like it were finely blown glass and held it in the light. 'Ah, yes' was how a story concerning talent, rarity, and beauty and how they all added up to a pricy result began. She listened because she enjoyed having someone work some acceptance and appreciation out of her. He was very good at it, and she bid him a friendly farewell consisting of the promise to think on it.

Breakfast came after eight other gorgeous sightings, which were laced amongst approximately fifty minor excitements, and after eating she was rearing to go down another five streets of salespeople crying for Sesshomaru's obviously upper class attention.

Speaking of him, Sesshomaru was tolerating this rather nicely. In fact, he almost seemed to be enjoying himself. Maybe he was off in La-La Land and thinking of something completely different, or perhaps he was glad to learn what tripped Kagome's trigger in terms of merchandise. A greedy part of her hoped for the latter. She wouldn't mind receiving gifts from him. They weren't the 'all important', but they would be very nice, now and again.

"It does not," Kagome argued merrily, their sporadic conversation taking yet another turn at his comment.

"Yes," he disagreed, "your voice _does_ change to a higher pitch while you are talking to merchants."

"Well, your voice just dies when they start talking," she offered.

"It is called listening," he countered, visually regarding what was probably quite the site to him when a woman hoisted a whole three feet and larger salmon over her head while looking at them happily. It wasn't the strength that was impressive, as there wasn't much needed in terms of those who worked for a living, but it was the fact that she _could _keep a heavy, slimy, limp scaly sack of meat over her slightly distraught hair that kept Kagome's attention long after Sesshomaru had gotten bored and searched for the next spectacle.

"If I didn't ask my questions, you wouldn't be able to listen even more," she quipped. "So there. Besides, I think you ignore people more tha-"

"Kagome," he began flatly. "Look over-"

"Or should I say you **interrupt** more tha-" She got really mad when he just killed her ability to talk by painlessly yet securely gripping her lower jaw and turning her head to the opposite direction.

There were stores, people, and something waving.

"O 'ami!" Kagome sputtered, blinking and then slapping Sesshomaru's hand away. "Is _that_…? It **is**!"

Said waving something cupped their hands to the sides of their mouth and yelled "Kagome!!" from across a mass of humans.

Shocked, Kagome slowly smiled, heart jumping and stopping in rapid succession. Her attention quickly shifted between Sesshomaru and the newcomer, and she didn't start running over until Sesshomaru had been pushing her ahead while walking for four confusing seconds.

"Oh my God!" Kagome cried, ecstatically leaping into full throttle wherever there was a healthy gap in the flow of traffic. "Sango! What the _**hell**_ are you doing all the way over here?!"

"Waiting for you, I guess!" she yelled back over the heads, waiting on the other side. When Kagome broke through she absolutely collided into her friend with a strong embrace, then they held one another at arm's length.

"It's been so long!" Kagome now exclaimed out of excitement. "How have you been?"

"Can't complain," Sango stated, grinning from ear to ear. She was in a sturdy kimono which reminded Kagome of the one which suffered through their summer together, but this outfit was mostly light green with a yellow fabric around the front. The days of pink were fading. "And neither can you, it seems."

It was then that Kagome noticed that Sango was eyeing Sesshomaru before returning inquiring eye contact over a malicious little smirk. Blushing, Kagome shook her head ever so slightly, Sango's smirk disappeared then returned with a vengeance, Kagome blushed all the harder, and Sango rubbed her upper arms reassuringly.

"These things take time to be done correctly," Sango almost commented before letting her hands drop. She then bowed politely to Sesshomaru with her hands to her lap, and Kagome glanced back at him to see his nod of a reply. Oddly enough, it was nice to see them politely acknowledging one another. It was a bit redundant to think they wouldn't, seeing as Rin lived in Sango's village, but Kagome was nonetheless reassured that no sparks would fly between slayer and yōkai.

"So what drags you out into public?" Sango asked merrily. "Is Kagome getting bored already?"

"No," Kagome snipped. Okay, maybe those two could become friends with her as a conversation target.

"Yes," Sesshomaru had agreed in perfect unison with her.

Sango laughed, commenting on them being made for one another, and Kagome's questions began flowing out of the need to talk about something less odd. It seemed that Sango was there for work, seeing as demons really _could_ learn to stay away from a slayer's village and head out for a higher and crowded human population to get lost in. That, or they were getting more creative with hiding. Another fact was that Edo had not been Sango's idea, but Miroku was actually off taking care of 'monk things'. It never got deeper than that.

"And InuYasha?" Kagome asked, not worried for the first time in her life saying that name around Sesshomaru. Before there had always been at least the slightest of flutter in her heart. Now she felt a little something, but it was more the curiosity behind the discovery. That, and aforementioned yōkai had gotten bored and was innocently touching Kagome's upper arm and playing with her hair. It didn't bother her, but it did unsettle her mouth, which couldn't keep its corners from curling up over his almost curios actions.

Sango was rather fascinated by their first truly public display of fondness, but she managed a reply while looking between Kagome and Sesshomaru in a mix if awe and humor. Yeah. It was one of those things you just had to see to believe. "He's being babysat."

Kagome giggled, waving a hand at his own, and her fingers were easily caught and held near her shoulder to be lightly massaged. It seemed that Sesshy didn't mind going public in the least. "You mean he's babysitting?"

Sango was going pink for holding in a certain emotion, or perhaps a noise. Whether it was the urge to laugh or to squeal over them was left unknown. "No. My girls are training Hiroko how to slay a hanyō, so to speak, and Shippo is keeping his child mentality tactics in check by guilt tripping InuYasha or making him feel obligated to stay. Rin is beginning to pick that up as well."

Rin… There was something Kagome felt like she forgot, of all the timing. Suddenly a whole avalanche of guilt came crashing down, and she looked back and over her shoulder at Sesshomaru. "Oh! I told her you'd go visit her some time ago!"

For some reason, this news brought entertainment.

"You assume I have not?" Sesshomaru asked as Sango turned her quick laugh into a cough, making passerby veer even more clear of them. At Kagome's asking stare, he continued, pinching her fingertips like some personal masseuse. "It is a sufficient means of killing time whilst you train, socialize, or sleep."

"Letting him slip out of your line of sight?" Sango teased earnestly.

Kagome looked at her and quirked her mouth wryly. "So, are you in Edo then to make sure Miroku keeps his hands to himself and you?"

"Ah!" Sango barked quickly, balking in shock.

"A-HAH!" Kagome cried, pointing with her free hand and leaning as forward as comfortably possible with Sesshomaru having a hold on her. "You haven't changed one bit!"

Sango was now blushing, but it was probably partially out of anger. "**I** certainly have! It's that perverted _monk_ who hasn't!"

"And you **love it**." Kagome almost accused through a smile, leaning back again until pressing against Sesshomaru. It felt good having him there with her.

When enough time had passed that Kagome felt bad about first talking to Sango on her day of playing hooky with Sesshomaru, and second for talking about things Sesshomaru didn't relate to in the least, she offered to visit Sango later. After that, five minutes of squabbling, compromising, and bargaining ensued, and in the end Sesshomaru got his way. Kagome found herself with both the shockingly heavy purse and her friend and wondering how long it was until three hours before sunset, at which time she'd see Sesshomaru again. He was probably off with Sheng somewhere, or having a healthy dose of personal time. Either way, her fingers wanted to feel him again.

"**You** are so _hopelessly_ in love with him."

That got Kagome's attention, once their hour long conversation had died. "Hm? Oh! Um, yeah, I guess you could say that."

Sango set down the oil she was sniffing and picked up another. "Well, at least you're not denying it anymore. That's good to see."

Kagome puffed out some air and it disturbed her bangs. They needed to be trimmed again. They were beginning to get just against her eyelids, and it was quite annoying. "You expect me to?"

"Yes," Sango admitted, voice nasally as her nose was wrinkled in preparation to sneeze. She set the obviously vile vial of oil back where she got it from, and searched for one she had previously liked so as to replace what was up her nose. "I mean, sheesh, it took you a whole summer to really even hint at liking InuYasha, so going the whole way with someone would be, what, six years?"

Kagome nearly shattered the fine glass in her spasmodically clenched fist. "That's ridiculous."

"Just a guess," Sango teased. "Speaking of, seeing as I _must_ be wrong, how is he?"

Kagome scoffed. "I'm in love with him, aren't I? He's an absolutely terrific pain in my ass."

It took a moment before Sango organized her thoughts to speak. "That's not… I mean, you know…? … Have you found out where other markings are yet?"

… Oh. It was _that_ sort of question. Well, the next ten minutes were bound to be fun, if nothing else.

* * *

"What do you mean, 'female things'?" Sheng asked in a manner that was one part happy, one part confused, and most parts incredulous.

Sesshomaru shrugged, still looking around with mild interest at the decorations. Humans certainly loved bright colors and a variety of shapes once indoors. Maybe his room would slowly morph over the years with being mated to Kagome. On that note, it was not really a matter of what-if anymore, but rather a matter of waiting. Like a predator knowing the game for its next meal was over, but enjoying the tail-ticks of lying in wait. Maybe Sesshomaru should just pounce his little deer and be done with that enjoyable part of it. Then again, he may never be in this stage of a relationship ever again, so in a way, waiting was a good thing. Reliably frustrating at the worse of moments, but over all, a good thing.

"She ran into a friend," Sesshomaru supplied. "Quite literally. Kagome went ablaze when she recognized her."

Sheng shifted against a nearby wall, happy to visually follow the wiggling tail end of a service girl as she walked between customers some thirty feet away. "Ablaze, hm? I suppose it would be the appropriate evolved form of one brightening or lighting up."

Sesshomaru rolled his tall ceramic tea cup between his hands, from opposing palm to fingertips, and vaguely wondered if anyone there suspected yōkai to be in their midst. Large villages or cities were not popular places for his kind to visit. "Are you going to invite her to a room, or just visually molest her?"

A dry chuckled eased from Sheng, and he interrupted it with a drink. "I would rather molest than wonder over possibly becoming a father. So, now that you've told me why you and Kagome have separated for a while, what are you going to do?"

"I have a monk to find," Sesshomaru stated. "Some holy grounds to visit, and if there is time then I have some streets to prowl."

This had Sheng contemplating Sesshomaru for a moment. Indeed, such were most likely the first words of their kind to escape a yōkai all at once, but Sesshomaru had his reasons. "Alright. I will be returning before you rejoin Kagome. Having some time away does me good though. Now scat, you're getting your scent all over me. I don't need your mother harping at me for knowing where you are."

* * *

"Go ahead and relax," Sango cajoled, patting Kagome on the back as they walked. "Sure, it hurts the first time, but it's worth it."

"Hurts?" Kagome asked at the sudden topic change from the slayer's children. Then she felt ignorant with being raised by her bashful and long time abstinent mother. "I'm not worried about THAT, I'm worried about resulting kids. I'd feel terrible, having a hanyō child and then dying while they're still so young."

"Well, you said you were going to get the hang of that trick you've been practicing," Sango countered. "Besides, you deserve it."

A twinge sprang up Kagome's spine. "_Deserve_?? That's hardly the word I'd pick. I feel more eventually obligated than deserving of it."

An elbow poked her side playfully. "You'll see what I mean after the unforgettable night. Or day. It is quite the spontaneous event."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome didn't reply, grappling for something else to think about. Sexy golden eyes flickering in candle light kept stealing any alternative thoughts.

"Sure," Sango plowed on without heeding Kagome's discomfort, "it's not going to be fantastically perfect. It never is. But there are just so many emotions, and the _bonding_, ooh!"

"T.M.I."

"What?"

"Too much information," Kagome supplied.

The elbow revisited. "Ah. You'll see. Don't come complaining to me, either, when you've realized all the nights you've lost."

Kagome was about ready to clobber the very open woman over the head with a Lord's salary in a drawstring purse, but instead she laughed with a sudden thought. It was great talking to a friend again. "Hey, you said work was hard to find, right?"

* * *

Finding a human in an area that was absolutely decimated with them was proving to be very difficult… It reminded Sesshomaru of the reason why he had stayed in the library of Tokyo oh so long ago. Outside was odorous, and inside smelled more of books than of the rarely visiting humans it was built for.

In all seriousness though, if you left a human in a room with a dictionary and a chair, they would probably just sit down and play with themselves in various ways, and perhaps hit themselves with the book out of boredom rather than read it. Some of the more curious may try a balancing act involving the chair, book, or both, and possibly add themselves dangerously to the mix before resorting to hitting, but in the end you are bound to encounter some dull thudding rhythms.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, would just leave the room. If that were impossible, he would be perfectly fine with reading the dictionary from cover to cover five times in a row. When boredom struck, he would most likely balance himself sitting in the chair with it on its back legs, corner the book perfectly on his nose, and take a nap for a few days exactly like that. Then he would re-read the dictionary another eight times, get bored, and go to sleep until time eroded the room from around him and he could leave with quite the vocabulary.

But back to sniffing out a monk from amongst the masses. Sesshomaru was almost certain that he remembered the young man's scent, though sometimes his memory distorted it between the young man who was hot on any willing woman's trail and the settled father of three, but the recognition should be there when he was close.

A good hour passed, and Sesshomaru learned to hate a very particular sort of human: merchants. The noisiest, most deceitful of creatures one could ever dread to find. Some of them, at any rate. They were the ones who went quiet for about ten seconds after Sesshomaru would glare at them and walk on.

Elusive monks were also working their way towards the top of Sesshomaru's list of things which displeased him that day, but fortunately he found the young man. And in a surprising yet rather fitting place.

The future Higurashi shrine grounds were mostly bright green with young shoots as they began to shoot out of the withered brown bed of last year's growth. There were also scant snow patches, but they were clinging to the surrounding clumps of trees where the sun never directly shone. Sesshomaru found himself watching a group of humans and their activities from atop the Bone Eaters Well's house, which seemed to be prepared for turning into a proper shrine rather than a guard house. Sesshomaru did not sense anything in particular to speculate as much. It was the intriguingly braided ropes and inked parchments that made him assume. They were attached to the walls of the well house, but being inactive Sesshomaru had no trouble remaining exactly where he was on the roof.

The monk he had been searching for, Miroku, was walking the grounds inquisitively, as though looking for something, and when he stopped and lifted a hand another monk would approach, stand still, nod, and one of the group members dressed in orange robes would hustle over through the young grass and thoughtfully plant a stick in the ground.

This happened three times, and by the number of sticks, had happened quite a few times more beforehand. It was not until watching the forth becoming planted that Sesshomaru discovered the pattern. They were marking where the tall stone statues stood on the shrine grounds in the future. Perhaps there was a natural flow of spiritual energy in that area.

A few more minutes of this passed when Miroku stopped and finally looked by only moving his eyes at Sesshomaru. The lack of activity invoked some questions, but Miroku handled them all very well and called for a brief break to relieve himself.

Of all things… Sesshomaru could tell the monk was lying -even from his vantage point- for an excuse to go out of sight and into the woods, but surely after years of practice and of rearing children the young man could come up with a better fib than that.

Before Miroku began to approach Sesshomaru was already behind the well shrine, and contemplating whether or not to be extreme in not being discovered by excessively racist religion fanatics. The decision was made for him though when the monk, in walking past, angled his head before stepping noisily into the foliage. It wasn't a crunching sort of noise, as one heard in the fall, but rather the mushy squirts of death made soggy and weak for the new generation of growth.

"You are exactly who I wanted to see."

This caught Sesshomaru's attention, briefly. Many people sought his attention on a daily basis, but this was the first that a monk had admitted as much. Then there was a miko who sometimes said that too often, or while angry. "Indeed?"

"Why is the Bone Eater's Well here? And why did you have the tree moved?" Miroku asked, coming to a halt after looking over his shoulder to scan the visibility through the trees. There was none, which meant it was perfect. "It's sent the local Buddhists into a frenzy, and they've already established that the tree has transcended through time to have grown so quickly. I suppose that's a good way to have it called the Tree of Ages, but this is a little extreme for no apparent motive. Would you mind enlightening me?"

The ways in which time planned things amused Sesshomaru. "In exchange for a small service, no, I would not mind."

Miroku had his hands casually up his sleeves, but an air of readiness still clung to him. It was in the spread of his feet and the slight pinch of his shoulders, but aside from that, he looked ready to greet an old friend.

Hah, they were far from friends.

"I'm listening," the monk encouraged.

Cooperation was not expected. If negotiations were negated, Sesshomaru would have to whisk Kagome away sooner than expected. Miroku was hesitant when Sesshomaru stated that the grounds needed both to be fully sanctified to the point of emanating a permanent barrier and to have a shrine built, but he became an advent listener as the reasoning was detailed.

"I see," Miroku began as their agreement was closed. "I will do my best then, so long as Kagome confirms the facts and agrees to help in the designing. … I assume she is with Sango?"

Ah, a clever one. "Yes."

"Good," the monk replied. "How is she?"

The proverbial reply of her being well surfaced, then paused. The monk's mood was changing. There was a peculiar strength mingled with worry and unfamiliar trust. It annoyed Sesshomaru, but he kept his voice emotionless. "Kagome is doing very well. Keep in mind she will hold it against you if you act as her father."

The monk blinked, and shifted into a genuinely more casual position. "Hm. I know. It is hard trusting some of her decisions though, after seeing the ones she has already made."

That was completely understandable. Kagome was quite the annoying ditz when she was younger, if having been attracted to a loudmouthed idiot was not evidence enough of that. It made Sesshomaru wonder, sometimes. Also, the monk was a father of two daughters, so the instinctive mistrust of unattached males courting females he cared about was probably influencing him as well.

Even though the potential argument was obviously one Sesshomaru would win, he avoided picking it. A relationship was infinitely better if none of the couple's friends had qualms with their being together. "I will bring Kagome with me soon to visit Rin. It will also give you time to discuss certain matters."

Miroku agreed with a nod, and their conversation was over. He returned to his work of sensing stick-spots, and Sesshomaru went back to the bustling streets. There was a specific, more pleasant merchant he would not mind bargaining with before finding Kagome.

* * *

"Oh really?"

"Ah, ha ha, yeah," Kagome confirmed while admiring some rather clunky yet pretty shoes. "He didn't really say the exact words yet, but the meaning was there."

At that Sango sighed, and set down a bundle of bright fabric she had been looking at for her daughters. The woman was actually looking at things with a genuine interest, since Kagome decided to hire her in sharing the weight of the purse. It was not much, but it would help out Sango's family in a time of lacking business. "Yeah, men are like that sometimes. He'll say it, eventually."

Kagome shrugged. "It's not like I need his feelings confirmed or anything."

"Yeah, but admit it, it's still something you'd like to hear. Especially if your playful stories of him making you say it are true."

This made them both giggle through the ceaseless prattle of the woman trying to verbally shove merchandise down their throats. It eventually had them walking on for another place.

"You're so in love with him," Sango randomly commented.

"Hm? Why'd you say that?"

"Because, you started sighing when he left, and that was quite a while ago," was the reply.

Kagome exhaled dramatically, then frowned. "That wasn't a sigh of missing him, it was being exasperated."

Sango shrugged with a little smile. "I think it's quite cute."

"Cram it," Kagome muttered.

"Aw. You're getting into a mood."

"And _you_ find that to be adorable…" Kagome muttered, head up and eyes half-lidded to show her annoyance without sighing again.

"Absolutely," Sango answered cheerily through a grin. "Let me know when you start slapping him over little things."

The thought nearly had Kagome laughing. Nearly. "I've slapped him a few times before, but it hasn't been for rubbing my ass. He's not as forward as Miroku used to be."

"Used to be, huh?"

"… Oh. … Well, anyway, I've only slapped him when he darn well deserved it, and he always knew he did. Probably. Deep down inside. If he thought he didn't, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to catch him."

Sango giggled, and it seemed rather out of place for how serious Kagome was being. "What? What's so funny?"

Brushing off imaginary lint from her bosom, Sango collected herself before speaking. "If you had a certain necklace on him, you wouldn't need to catch him."

Kagome was instantly mortified and began to laugh loud enough to have people give funny looks. That was fine though, Sango was enjoying the mental images, too, so they both got stared at.

After various expressions, gestures, and onomatopoeia to portray the key points they found to be hilarious in that concept, the humor began to ebb. Very, very slowly.

"Oh, kami, he's too regal to be sat," Kagome laughed breathlessly, the corners of her cheeks hurting for having smiled for so long and hard.

"I know," Sango replied in the same tones. "But I- I can still see you doing that to him!"

Wiping tears from her eyes while shaking her head, as difficult as that was, Kagome tried to breathe normally again. "I think I'd die laughing before being able to get the first letter pronounced. Oh, sheesh, I've thought about this before, but _damn_ it's a lot more funny with a friend around!"

"Oh is it?"

Kagome shrieked quickly while jumping forward before turning quickly to see Sesshomaru. About a foot away from where she had been standing. Sango took his appearance a lot better, and was simply white as a sheet and wide-eyed, slowly beginning to find this all to be funny.

"Don't **do** that!" Kagome yipped, marching back the three feet she had leaped to smack his chest. "I nearly died of a heart attack! … And wipe that smile off your face!"

Still grinning, Sesshomaru put his hand in front of his mouth, moved it to the side, and revealed a perfectly serious face. Almost stern.

"… Stop that," Kagome tried again, her stomach tickling.

The smile returned. "Make up your mind."

Obviously ready to lose this argument, Kagome settled for planting her feet and crossing her arms. "You're here early."

"Was this not our day together?" he asked, not at all sounding bothered.

"Oh!" Sango spoke up, entering the conversation and making Kagome flinch. "I'm sorry, I had no idea that-"

"You're fine," Kagome interrupted. "It was good to see a friend again."

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow.

"You were never my friend!" Kagome yelled at him. "You went from a pain in my neck to a _romantic_ pain in my neck! No in-between, you're just like dry-ice, you headache-inducing jerk!"

A part of her wondered if her outbursts would ever, ever get him yelling at her in return. "I am sorry that I frightened you," he apologized, probably irking her all the more by finding her to be rather delightful at the moment. Come on, she was terrifying when she was mad, dammit!

"... Apology accepted," she sniffed, figuring she couldn't say that he didn't scare the living crap out of her after that epic yelp-and-jump maneuver.

"Good," he said. "Then I will give you a few more minutes."

Kagome was rather surprised when he turned around and walked away, and she didn't stop staring at his rapidly fading figure until Sango touched her shoulder.

Sango was trying very hard not to laugh.

"What?" Kagome asked, anger fading in wake of curiosity.

"Honey," the slayer began almost sympathetically, ready to burst. "You just got mugged."

Shocked, Kagome's hand flew for her hip, and she realized the sack of coins was nowhere in the vicinity of where she had left it. One would thing that, due to its heaviness, its absence would be noticed… "That pompous bitch!"

Sango frowned with a giggle. "Wasn't that _his_ money?"

Kagome simmered. "It's the act that counts…"

* * *

Chuckling to himself, and wondering over the slight loss of weight to the purse, Sesshomaru had the feeling that Kagome was cursing him out. He didn't feel bad about it though, seeing as it was his money, and he already apologized for the worser crime of scaring her. If she hadn't been shocked, he supposed that taking the purse back would have been a bit harder to do. He was going to have done it without her noticing, but the subject was too demanding of a comment from him. He had seen how that 'necklace' worked, after all, and he would like to keep his face as far from the ground as possible at every given moment in life.

The last coin clinked into his palm as he neared the rather pleasant, older merchant he had been talking to not long ago. Nodding to one another in recognition, the amount was soon handed over to be re-counted by the human.

"Fancy coins," the tiny yet healthy and happily married man commented, flipping them in his scarred and callused hand while counting. "Same material, same weights, but different image imprints. So, you _are_ a demon then?"

More humans needed to be educated on the differences. Calling Sesshomaru a demon was as inaccurate and insulting as it would be to call him a peasant. "A yōkai."

"Ah. Fancy that. We don't see many of your kind here in the cities," the man commented warmly, not at all frightened. Many people were not scared of Sesshomaru, initially. It was those who thought they had something to either prove or to protect who feared him. "I suppose your claws and birthmarks give you away, and those aren't easily hidden, are they?"

Then again, this man was exceedingly unafraid to be asking questions. "I presume you have encountered others?"

"Oh, yes. You don't live to be a human my age these days without some form of an encounter, especially in the field of a craftsman. It _is_ unusual to not receive the standard human currency, but in the long run I suppose that increases their value… Hm, I see you're paying me half for now, as agreed," the merchant acknowledged.

"Yes. You will see the remainder later, if your craftsmanship is worthy of it."

The merchant nodded, smiling. "I assure that you will not be disappointed. Please feel free to return for them in fifteen days or later."

* * *

The o-shiro felt empty and bland without the lovebirds around. Le had taken Kagome's disappearance as a promise that she will work herself to the bone the next time he sees her, and left it at that to enjoy his day off. Sheng also did not mind Sesshomaru's lacking presence, seeing as he himself had also not been there. Li Hua, on the other hand, was rather mad for a healthy portion of the morning, and finally resigned herself to her rooms for a well deserved nap.

What woke her up was sensing Sheng's return, and she could hardly wait for the verbal lashing to begin. Upon sitting up, it was obvious that she needed to reaffix her hair picks.

Dragging herself off the cotton filled mattress, still fully clothed, she walked over to her vanity corner. Her kimono had gotten somewhat askew, its normally vertical edge now slanted to disrupt the even hem. She hated naps, they always demanded so much time from her afterwards to right her appearance.

The slight tug of her long hair pins coming loose was a familiar feeling, her drawn up tresses falling smoothly to frame her face, and setting them down she pondered herself in the perfectly flat sheet of mirror.

"You have certainly aged," she muttered to the reflection, wondering if she saw a slight graying under her eyes and smoothing it under her fingertip. It was probably from the sleep. Despite what she said, memories of when she always wore her hair down came back whenever she had her pins out, and a sad comfort enveloped her. It was so long since she was innocent and not mated, and it was not so long ago that her mate was taken away from her.

"If you want 'old', you should look at someone else."

Li Hua focused her eyes in a different part of the mirror, regarding Sheng in the background doorway. The sneaky bastard. "I did not call myself 'old', you antique."

He barked a laugh. "I said old, not antique. And all women lie to themselves, you were thinking as much."

Sighing through her nose, she visually dismissed him for founding her rarely used comb. From time to time she would use it, usually when she wanted to feel better, and right now she did.

"Thinking about him?"

"You are welcome to leave," she replied, closing her eyes while dipping the rounded teeth into her curtain of hair. It brought back memories.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," he happily stated, and she heard him walking in.

"Now, Sheng."

The footsteps gradually stopped, not too far away, and trying not to let him get to her she continued. The comb was fine toothed, and carved from bone, making it seemingly as light as air. At times, she could hear it whisper to her as it went through her already untangled locks.

A weary impatience settled in when his heavy touch rested lightly on her shoulders. "Leave me alone."

"Now, now," he eased, smoothing some of her frustration away by stroking away from her neck towards her arms and repeating. "If you keep everything pent up, you'll scare Kagome away. She won't want to be related to such a terrifying woman."

"Hm. Tell me, Sheng, exactly how fond are you of unbroken fingers?"

"Oh, very," he chuckled, the motions of his hands uninhibited by any uncertainty she may or may not have instilled in him. "Hm. When is the last time you have been with a man? Intimately?"

"You know that one," she scoffed. "You are bad luck, now go away."

At that he paused. "Come now, just because you were finally loosening up a little does not mean it caused that argument."

"Argument?" she asked, dislodging herself from him by turning halfway around in her small European bench to frown up at him. "It was a **catastrophy**! I am _never_ disrobing around you, ever **again**, Sheng! You know full well I want grandchildren rather than another screaming brat of my own, anyway, so go bother some other distraught girl!"

Sheng grinned shamelessly, the quirky bastard. "Aw, but you are my favorite, little Li Hua. And I still say you are exaggerating. The timing was way off, and the distance too great for any pheromone reactions. Chiro would have been in his bed that night regardless of our activities."

"Ooh!" she seethed, turning back around and smacking the low table surface. Some feminine trinkets jostled, and she flinched upon realizing she had just slapped her comb. It wasn't broken, and it would take far more than that to even phase it, but it frightened and bothered her nonetheless. "Oh, _now_ look what you have done! You are _such_ an inconvenience, go to China for a decade!"

"Hm," he hummed thoughtfully, taking her anger in impeccable stride. "I am sorry. I did not expect you to be 'distraught'. Really, though, it has been well over two hundred years since he d-"

"Get out," she bit out bitterly. "Just shut up, and get out. It is the least you can do for adding insult to injury, you horribly timed bad luck inducer."

She waited, not sure what the response would be. Silence filled the room though as she felt him leaving. He did what she wanted, and for some reason, she felt a little worse for it.

For a short while she merely stared at the wall ahead of her, thinking. She did like Sheng, for various reasons, and age was not as important to yōkai as it was for humans (who lived very short lives in comparison), but sometimes that man just grated on her nerves.

Shifting her hand, the edges of her comb, a gift from her deceased mate, became apparent, and she angled her fingers to pick it up and continue to brush her hair. She did not indulge in the activity often, but when she did, she would prefer to be left undisturbed.

* * *

"You don't have to yet," Kagome reassured barely even a minute after Sesshomaru left.

"I should though," Sango countered, letting Kagome out of their embrace. "I don't want to be the one keeping you away from your yōkai."

"My-? That's horrible."

Sango giggled at Kagome's blush and winked. "You know it to be true. All guys are the same, no matter what species they are. If they're allowed to call us theirs, then we should be able to call them ours in turn. Right?"

"Ever hear of polygamy?" Kagome asked.

"… Multiple husbands?" Sango guessed.

"Oh, preferably."

They both laughed, and despite Kagome's reassurances that she would sense out Sesshomaru this time before he arrived, Sango bid farewell and left with an order to visit sometime.

Assuming that ten minutes of entertaining herself would ensue, Kagome tried to find Sheng and gave up after realizing he was nowhere in range. After a huff and glancing back to confirm that Sango was long gone, Kagome looked ahead once more and had a silent panic attack. Sesshomaru had appeared out of thin air like a Hollywood special effect, scaring the daylights out of her and some people who had been glancing her way. She opened her mouth to complain about him pulling stunts, but he beat her to the first words.

"Do you still wish to see the ocean?"

She huffed again, smiling despite herself. "Can't I be annoyed with you for even two seconds?"

His smile had her melting, and she didn't mind when he tucked his arm under hers and lifted, making her hand slide into the crook of his arm.

"Nice trick," she commented, holding him and pondering over Sango's words as they began to walk together. "Did you learn something other than some English while you were over in Europe?"

"Perhaps," he hinted, not minding the people staring at them. Kagome wasn't at all bothered, either. She had a forearm to fondle and badly maintained streets to not break her ankles on.

* * *

Sesshomaru could not help but to envy sand. This was admittedly highly abnormal for him, but once Kagome had decided to roll up and secure her hakama legs she went to kick around in the surf and emerged with wet and sparsely sandy legs.

"Come on," she whined some more, grabbing his wandering attention again as she closed the gap between them. "Are you too regal to take off your shoes and have fun?"

"Yes."

She stared, and crossed her equally exposed arms. "You won't drown…"

Frowning minutely over the slight insult, Sesshomaru tucked his hands into opposing sleeves. "That is obvious."

"… Hm," she hummed through a grin. "Well, I suppose you _could_, actually. Ever hear of a riptide? It's basically the water grabbing you and pulling you under along the ocean's bottom, and they're pretty much impossible to swim out of if you panic. Isn't that neat?"

He blinked, and wondered if there really were demons in her era and humans just did not know it. Well, apparently Bashamon survived as long, and if _he_ could then there probably were other yōkai and lesser beings.

Tucking her hands behind her back and swinging her shoulders gently, Kagome giggled to herself for no apparent reason. "You can get in the water with your shoes on and pants down, I wouldn't mind."

Sesshomaru smirked over the thought, and decided to have a seat in the sand.

"Oh, come on!" she yelled, radiating displeasure.

"I am fine with remaining dry," he offered, resting his arms atop his lifted knees. "You, on the other hand, are more than welcome to disrobe further to play in the water."

After commenting on something called a 'bathing suit' and 'driving him absolutely mad' with it, as impossible as that sounded, she sighed and turned away. "Alright, I'm going to hunt shells."

That was by far one of the easiest once-animate prey Sesshomaru could possibly think of, and that may have been a leading factor for why she suggested doing the activity. He watched her leave, waving whenever she looked at him over her shoulder. After the first two times she stubbornly marched onwards with her face fixated ahead, refusing to look again.

Pleased with the results, Sesshomaru began to take off his shoes.

* * *

"Uneventful jerk," Kagome muttered, watching the waves rush up and splash her legs before receding, taking gritty sand from under her feet for an odd sensation of sinking. "I swear, once motion pictures hit Japan, I'm shooting a film of a couple walking the beach and submitting it."

Another wave reached up the land, and she spotted a small, shiny shell tumbling up the beach in it, disrupting the flow of water.

The urge to chase after it surfaced, but remained unfulfilled when she went up instead of forward.

Kagome shrieked as she was sent spinning in a circle with her legs out and a strong hold around her torso under her breasts. When the world righted to her equilibrium again, she found herself sitting bridal-style in Sesshomaru's arms, and looking with astonishment up at his beaming face. The bastard got a kick out of scaring her of late.

"Oh, put me down," she griped good-naturedly, smacking his chest lightly. "And stop scaring me like that, I'll have a heart attack and die from it."

"Then I would revive you," he assured, setting her down in the cold surf.

When she had her balance, Kagome shifted her shoulders, cleared her throat, and spontaneously kicked a wave up at him and ran like mad. Shrilling when he caught her up again, she sprawled and laughed even while he threatened to fly up and drop her in the ocean. At that she vaguely challenged his strength, he proved it, and that led to kissing on the sand until she dropped a handful of it on his head and ran away again. She never got far doing that…

Despite all appearances, she was thrilled that Sesshomaru could and would loosen up and have fun with her, even if it meant he got wet and sandy.

"The sun will go down soon," Kagome observed, staring at the oddly cast shadows of the vegetation and rock outcrops. "Want to build a fire?"

At the lack of a response, she glance back at Sesshomaru, who looked a little befuddled.

"For the purpose of warmth, entertainment, and for the sake of seeing something burn," she supplied. Then a thought struck her. "You've built fires before, right? Or was that Jaken's job in taking care of Rin?"

Nothing sounded better than to tackle Sesshomaru to the gritty ground at his small smile. He was happy a lot around her, for some odd reason, and she was thrilled to see it.

"I am capable of building a fire," he assured. "It is simply convenient to use the Staff of Two Heads, so yes, Jaken frequently undertook that task."

Pondering over how the toad was fairing quite a few minutes after his being mentioned, Kagome continued with her self-appointed task of gathering kindling. Finding an armload of tinder was surprisingly simple to do despite being near a shore. She completed the job quickly and walked out of the woods towards their designated pit location, near a huge outcrop to be out of the wind, and she nearly dropped her bundle.

"There you are," Sesshomaru commented, sitting cross-legged next to a mini bonfire worth of arranged wood. The stack reminded Kagome of the Mayan temples, with its square pyramid shape becoming progressively smaller the higher it was. There were two logs parallel to each other per layer, giving the to-be-roaring fire plenty of oxygen as only the corners of the wood touched anything. Rin must have enjoyed when the sun set if Jaken set up such fires for her.

"Were you waiting long?" she asked, approaching and wondering if she really had taken longer than a few minutes.

"No," he admitted, watching her shove some kindling between the logs into the stack's belly.

"Good. So, do you have any tricks to get this lit?"

"Hm. A few," he answered. When she finished and wiped her hands on her damp and salty hakama legs, he pulled back a sleeve before reaching in and placing his hand over the tinder.

Kagome didn't have long to doubt this method before a windy flame took root and spiraled up along the logs to be come an inferno. He retracted his unscathed arm and shook his sleeve back down to his wrist, and she supposed he didn't lose even a single hair from the flame which was keeping her at a minimum of four feet away from it already.

"Okay," she began, thoroughly impressed seeing as not even gasoline could accomplish what he just seemingly magically did. What she witnessed was positively illogical, but perhaps it had something to do with the flame he had conjured in his hand in Tokyo, whereas she could only manage a small blue icy gem. Then there was another impossible thing before her, and it took a moment to continue talking because watching him sit a foot away from the flame, hair and clothes rippling nonchalantly in the strong heat waves pouring from the flames, was breath taking. "Care to douse it and show me the other tricks you have?"

After yelling that she was being sarcastic when he moved to do so, Kagome finally forcefully sat in this lap to keep him from proving himself to her. Then she began to turn away and made to crawl off him into a more comfortable temperature range.

"Relax," he breathed, holding an arm around her middle. A whimper of displeasure escaped her, her skin prickling as though every hair were receding in terror, but when his energy misted up against her she calmed. It was almost instinctive, thanks to that darn seal. This opened up a whole new world of experience. The flame's heat lifted off her body, replaced with a comforting warmth that seeped into her muscles. It reminded her of the cozy space in bed she longed to return to every cool morning after getting up to turn off her alarm clock.

The sigh was inevitable in its coming from her, and her limbs became blissfully heavy as she did what he told her to do. Kagome truly enjoyed being enveloped by his energy, and this time the duration wasn't brief. The feeling remained, and the slightly glowing red currents stroked in rhythmic patterns.

"This is nice…" she hummed. His chin alighted on her shoulder, and she tilted her head against his face. "Is this what you get to feel like, channeling your energy as you do?"

"No," he admitted. "It is different, and difficult to explain. You will experience it upon learning how to properly channel your energy."

Leaning against him, she folded her arms over his as they rested across her abdomen. She watched as tendrils of flame, flowing up from their holds in the sides of the logs, flickered towards them innocently. "… Would I be able to touch the fire unharmed right now?"

"You would."

This was just too cool. Glad to already have her boot shoes off, she slowly stretched out her legs, heels plowing slowly through the sand. Kagome was slow in putting her toes closer to the flames, expecting to have to retract them quickly.

He chuckled near her ear, startling her. "Go ahead. You can trust me on this."

"It's not a matter of trust," she replied, nibbling her lower lip and sliding just one foot forward. "I'd trust you with my life. This is just going against instinct for me."

The thought of insulting him was enough of a nudge for her, and with a leaping heart she touched her right big toe against the bottom burning log. Flames parted around her presence, and she initially drew back a good two inches. Sesshomaru, watching over her shoulder, remained silent through her uncertainty. After a few breaths, and confirming that she was indeed unharmed, Kagome inserted half her foot through the wall of light. The blazes explored between her toes almost curiously, and she had the mental image of puppies licking her foot.

Kagome giggled over the feeling as the fire tried to coax her flesh into charring. It was only warm, like putting on a fuzzy sock straight after the dryer.

"This is amazing," she stated through a wide grin. It was a quite the adrenaline rush, playing with fire.

Feeling adored when Sesshomaru kissed her clothed shoulder, Kagome again began to think about spending her entire life with him. Maybe, just maybe, children weren't too out of the question.

"I can teach you this," he offered spontaneously. "Granted, you may be singed a few times in practicing, but the act is fairly simple once you figure it out."

He made it sound like driving a stick shift car, and that was something she _still _didn't look forward to. Nevertheless, the urge to say 'yes' sprung up and bounced excitedly like a puppy. Grinning, she took her foot out of the fire and hummed instead, nestling her toes back into the cool sand. It was funny. There was a time that she would be mortified to sit in his lap. Those days were long gone though, and the left her free to snuggle back into him. "Not now. This is too perfect to ruin with blisters. … Hm. The fire is gorgeous, I'm sure we'll be dry in no time."

Sesshomaru chuckled, shifting with her until they were both quite comfortable, and she smiled over at the orange ball of a sun when he nudged in and began to tickle her ear with his lips. "Your hakama would dry faster if you were not wearing them."

"Oh really?" she whispered back, playing along. "I would get cold."

"Not with me," he promised, and she dislodged her ear from the origin of his sultry, seductive voice. Dear mercy, she was a blessed fool to love him.

"You don't have to ruin a moment with your maleness."

"Oh, but I do," he jested back. "And what is the harm? I know you enjoy it."

Slightly teed, Kagome dropped the whispering. "You know, I **really** hate that nose of yours…"

That got her nuzzled again, sending goose bumps marching down her whole left side. "It loves you, though," he argued, searching for one of her triggers. She always shook when it took him too long (as in more than fifteen seconds) to find one, but it was fun. He _did_ find them quickly, she was just getting better at not reacting as strongly. Still, she expected at least a year to get her resistance down pat.

"What else loves me?" she asked teasingly, squealing deep inside when he hummed in thought.

"I do."

"Do you?"

"M-hm," he confirmed, finding her ear again in spite of her best efforts to hide it and lightly brushing it with his lips and breath. That never got old.

Wiggling contently, she let him have his fun. He stepped over the wall of men admitting their feelings for her, it was the least she could do. "I love you, too." Then again, maybe she also had a bit of a wall, seeing as a variety of conditions to that statement in the forms of mild and taunting insults lined up, but she pushed them aside. The moment was too nice. And she had the rest of her life to point out his few and minor flaws. She could probably count them on all of her digits, and that meant that she would just have to pin them to him all the harder to compensate for lack of material. And so far, he tolerated all of her vain attempts with good graces. If she tried acting like that around him upon first meeting him, she probably would have gotten more than an army's worth of skulls melted over her. As twisted, demeaning, and demented as it sounded, it was a special feeling to not be on Sesshomaru's long and well developed bad list. Dear lord, it was simply amazing being loved by him. She didn't know what she would do if that ever changed, for any reason. Not now, after they'd come so far.

Kagome's heart quivered as a thought slipped silently into being. For years, all of her motives and goals, all of her drives in life, were focused around her precious pain in the neck. It was something she hadn't really given voice or acknowledgement to, and now that it was given a name she couldn't help but to sit and ponder the little critter of an idea. Sheesh, years… It made sense, in that regard, that she would be absolutely miserable if he were suddenly gone from her life. Sure, her feelings toward him had suffered through quite the roller coaster feat, but in the face of all uncertainty she was still there. They were with one another in the end, and that was something of a miracle.

Suddenly filled with the urge to laugh to the stars until they echoed back, Kagome quelled the splendid emotion to make sure Sesshomaru didn't catch up on it. After all, she had to get the best of his senses some time. "Hey, could you do me a small favor?"

His toying stopped, briefly. "Name it."

Stomach rising like a hot air balloon filled with sugar and spice and everything nice, Kagome sighed through her nose and stared at the fire. "Could you list off the process of mating? No one has really told me anything beyond the courting bit."

Aforementioned balloon was hit by a breeze of affection when he hugged her loosely to him. The reply wasn't immediate. He was thinking.

"Typically, yōkai mate by mating, but that is neither an important nor a mandatory part," he began, speaking at a measured pace. This was probably the first time he had to surmise all of the details and state them. "Mating is simply a mindset; a very strong bond. Some exchange vows or items, just as some human cultures do. Some mate bodily and remain detached emotionally for seasons thereafter. For others, it just develops."

This was interesting. She could relate the concepts easily to human actions in regards to wedding. Sex wasn't required, though it was a common result the night to follow, and in her era many exchanged rings, a symbol of belonging to another and of their own free will. Then with the other, it was obviously either an arranged marriage or marrying for something other than love that he as referring to. But the last… "What do you mean when you say 'it just develops'?" Was it like moving in with a boyfriend or something regrettable like that?

"Well, _we_ would be a decent example of that," he replied, amused. "They simply spend a lot of time together, have their good and bad moments, but in the end they continue to find one another."

"Because they're happy together," she finished, and his nod brushed his jaw against her hair. "Hm… Yeah, that's us. Who would have thought, years ago, that we'd fall into a relationship?"

This produced a scoff. "Not me."

"Hm," she sniffed. Yeah, fate should have courtesy warnings. Still, it was more fun not knowing and accepting reality's backhand. "Why not? It was your fault, after all."

"The blame is fully yours," he countered.

"Is not!" she argued while laughing, ready to turn around to face him and jab fingers. Instead she merely held one up in the air before her to gesticulate how very ticked she felt that she should be on the matter. "I wanted to skin you quite a few times, **not** get groped and kissed all through the nights!"

"And yet you kept returning to me," he sighed, shaking his head. "What on Earth was I to do with you?"

"Oh, apparently you were to attract me to within inches of my tolerance and then some. I'll never forgive you for tricking me."

"Tricking you?"

"Yes!" she yelled, giving up on the solitary finger and using both hands like a flustered, failing translator. "How the _devil_ did you change my mindset, in **one month**, from fighting you physically to fighting you off emotionally?! **How**?!"

He hugged her again, making her melt. "I am simply amazing like that."

Rolling her eyes, she turned her head to see his irises glow in the sunset, glint with the fire, and burn with her reflection. Dear **kami**, he was something. It seemed less than ridiculous that resisting him was just a bad habit now. "Just- Shut up and kiss me."

The fire crackled merrily and fell in each time a charred log gave way. When the glorious pile was no more than a sloppy looking beach fire, Kagome was head over heels in nigh-mindless love with Sesshomaru all over again. And sandy, she was very sandy. Maybe Sango was right, as would everyone else be though Kagome's ego was less teased by the words of a best friend. Maybe her hesitation was illogical. Perhaps it was dawning in her life that their relationship go up another notch. Hell, she deserved it after all, didn't she? Yes, excellent, a fine excuse to tell herself years to come.

Besides, just in case something _did _happen, she didn't want '_the moment'_ to happen in a place where everyone could smell it. Gross. Then again, she wasn't fond of sand being in her hair let alone elsewhere.

"You are beginning to smell peculiar," Sesshomaru admitted from around her lower neck, near her shoulder. It reminded her that the scar from InuYasha's bite was completely gone now.

That hot air balloon, which had been going through a thrilling hurricane for the last half hour or more, now rocketed skyward as the pressure in her head seemed to decrease to a pleasing degree. "Is there a hot spring nearby?"

"No," he answered slowly, probably quietly analyzing her. "It would not take long to get to one though. What is on your mind?."

She smiled. Okay, so his nose wasn't all-telling. "I was just thinking we could go take a bath… You put this sand on me, so naturally it's your responsibility to take it off."

Actions ceasing, Sesshomaru pulled back to openly visually consider the oddity in his lap. "You really need to stop teasing me. I _do_ have limits."

_Did_ he? Those may prove to be fun to mercilessly exploit… Aside from that, Kagome laughed, and she laced her arms about his neck and kissed him cutely. "Can't you smell honesty along with lies?"

He was absolutely motionless against her. "I was being serious."

She paused, smile twitching to a less fabulous expression. "As am I…?" Where were the fireworks? Dammit, she was far too worked up by the prologue of events and thoughts to not be given the show.

"…"

Pursing her lips, she lifted off of him and sat up, regarding his flat expression. "You think I'm full of it, don't you."

"Absolutely," he confirmed, laying in the sand as though it was made especially for him

She about backhanded Sesshomaru for how well trained he was now. "Let me put it this way. Either take me up on the suggestion now, or forever damn the possibility of the mood **ever** returning."

At that gentle nudge, he picked her up, and the thrill bubbled into her all over again. She had no idea what would come of her suggestion, but it was now a door she felt comfortable trespassing through. Even if he had to carry her.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, the chapter FINALLY came out! Hope it was long enough! ;) I believe the muse wanted a last go at the cute relationship dandies before the plot took a firm hold again, so the next chapter should be getting a bit more detailed in that regard. I still have some loose strings to tie up, and we are quite a few chapters away from the grand finale! :D

T-T I had been wanting to surprise the heck out of you, but I'll admit it: Yes, there IS a lemon in the beginning part of the chapter to come. -is shocked- I actually wasn't planning on having one so soon, but… -sighs- I guess I could go for the classic surprised teenager response of 'it just sorta happened'? Anyway, two things to note on that:

One- The lemon is **NOT** on this site. I know, frustrating, but I have this story posted elsewhere as well under the M rating just for this occasion. I'll have the link up and labeled on my account page, so if you wish to read on, go there and find it with a search suggestion. ;) And to everyone who is not thrilled about a little action, just so you know, the lemon will be good, but not fantasy-good. Um, kinda hard to explain, but I know there are two extreme feelings on lemons (one being 'FUCKING WOOT!!' and the other being 'oh, it's there, well, I hope this doesn't result in teenage pregnancies', or something along those lines. :S) so I am trying to assure everyone not supporting it that I am not going to instill false impressions on… on the impressionable? -shrugs again- An iffy situation. :) Anyone who thinks they're old enough, go find the link if you so choose.

Two- Okay, there's a little something which is plot-wise special that happens during the scene, I admit it, but **don't** worry (to those not going to read the lemon) for it will be thoroughly explored, and possibly reminisced on, later in the same chapter. I won't leave anyone hanging factually, so don't go muddling through something which you'd rather not read to find it. It shall be provided for you later. :D

Phew! Boy, I can talk… ;3 As always, thoughtful reviews are adored! Thanks for reading!

Oh, and I'll try to update 'on time' next time. :x Again, I'm sorry, but this chapter was being very demanding. ;) -scolding- _Bad_ chapter, **bad**!

~AD


	10. Details

**A/N**: OMG, it's finally out! This is hopefully the first step in a great direction (towards completion).

Anyway, sorry for the horrible delay! I'm really embarrassed about it. Thank you everyone who wrote/reviewed me with encouragements, I was beginning to dread review alert messages because of some more… dispassionate reviews. I'll be replying to everyone shortly after this post (it's my little reward, addressing my dear readers).

Well, I'll save the bulk of what I have to say for the end of this chapter. Expect some changes in writing style. I think I've evolved a little over this time lapse.

**WARNING: ** There's a twist of lime/lemon in this. If you don't want to read it, or breech your comfort point, search this page for (tiny, tiny pieces) without the parenthesis once you feel the content is getting too in-depth. You'll run into a fact in life, but it's not the naughty limey emotional stuff that would encourage you to lose yourself in a night of passion with some kid, so it's 'clean' in that respect. That's my compromise if you get uncomfortable, because if you try to pick things up after that point you'll get lost for the rest of the chapter…

Read and enjoy! ^_^

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_Details_

* * *

Night was thoroughly settled in the sky as Li Hua strode with unusually quick strides through the corridors of the _o-shiro_, peeved. She had long since dismissed her personal handmaids, Bai and Chiro, to be on their ways attending to other tasks, which were specifically restricted to her quarters. Li Hua did not need any pampering for what she sought to do.

A faint rustling, occurring with every step, had her nose crinkle ever so faintly, and for the umpteenth time she snatched the simple letter from her obi and glowered at it. She had already memorized its contents, but the seal was enough to detain her attention.

The aura she had been seeking since sunset tickled at her awareness, and it was with a flustered sniff that she realized the prior lack wasn't due to an effort to hide. It was possible, after all, to limit one's aura into something undetectable until being nearly upon them, but he wasn't performing that trick. Tucking the letter away, she smoothed her clothing and her expression and stepped through a pair of sliding doors into the early spring air. It was a short wait before Sheng came into sight as a dot in the distance, and an instant later he was walking through the wide courtyard of the _o-shiro_ as though having been for a stroll. Pursing her lips, she approached, schooling her features as best she could.

"What has your _kimono_ in knots, my pretty?"

Li Hua faltered only a touch, hardly breaking stride. She was _not_ showing her irritation. He was simply assuming. After all, she _was_ seeking him out immediately upon his return, so it would be a valid assumption. She opened her mouth to reply, coming within twenty feet of him, and closed it promptly. The _yōkai_ didn't just _smell_ of sake, it was potent enough to taste.

"Where is he?" she demanded instead. Screw serenity, she had lands to govern.

"'He' is a reference applicable to roughly half of every living thing in this land."

Being within slapping distance of Sheng was quite noteworthy. "Do not play games with me. He has been gone all day, perhaps even longer, and he has matters to attend to."

"Indeed he does," Sheng agreed, seeming amused with a personal joke. "I'd say he is taking well measured steps towards long overdue goals. Now, tell me what is so urgent that you need him this instant, after you did quite well in running the empire for a whole summer without him."

Glowering up his height as he continued to walk past, she turned her gaze forward once more, pondering briefly on where to begin while matching stride at his side. "Bashamon's barrier needs strengthening."

"So soon?" was the reply, as though commenting on the weather. "Well, we may either have the barrier reinforced or replaced. Should it fall, the previous Eastern Lord is harmless in his present state. What else is there?" The door opened ahead of them, thanks to silent servants.

"Aside from a plethora of paperwork," she continued, stilling briefly twitching fingers, "Kueng has sent news."

Silently, Sheng held out a leisurely hand as they strode silently down the outer corridor, and Li Hua withdrew the intricately folded parchment and handed it over. She did hope that her initial attempts to crumple the letter were sufficiently smoothed out by now.

It took mere moments for Sheng to read it, and after a second scan he folded it once more, handing it back. "Interesting."

"Is that all you have to say?" she asked, scolding herself briefly for the hint of vexation in her voice. She continued more calmly. "And the ending?"

"Leverage," he supplied, veering down a corridor towards his quarters. Despite his obvious flaws, his quick thinking and ability to sort muddled facts into clear knowledge were talents only a fool would overlook in favor of his playful demeanor. There were reasons for Sheng to be in the council, ones she acknowledged and used as much as possible. "The rest are matters for the council."

Li Hua sniffed delicately, her worries settling slowly. "Yes they are, however, the most important member is apparently off _frolicking_ in his own testosterone."

A deep, rumbling chuckle shook warmly past her cold façade, and it altered her breathing ever so slightly. "Indeed, which may be more helpful now than a group of elderly fretting over every minute detail." Pausing outside of his destination, Sheng regarded her in a measuring way. She began to list excuses in her head, and stopped when he eliminated the need for them. "I hope the rest of your evening proves to be less stressful. Don't worry about Sesshōmaru, he has a good head on his shoulders."

Staring openly until the words registered, she nodded in agreement. "I will see you at the meeting." Why did her voice feel so winded? A returned nod from him, and just like that she found herself walking away from closed doors.

A chastising voice nagged teasingly at her over the sense of disappointment, whipping her emotions back under control and spurning her to arrange the meeting and handle what she could. Perhaps the meeting could wait for morning, seeing as the old fool had consumed enough _sake_ – _human_ brewed _sake_! The man must have absorbed the stuff like sand! – to risk his stability. It was foolishness on his part, but she would hold off on a meeting for a few hours nonetheless. Not that she cared for him, she simply did not need any hindrances. She thought this while returning to her quarters, fingering the old combs holding back her hair. The action sent an old emotion through her, and smoothly, she veered for another room. Paperwork should settle her nerves a little.

* * *

It was a very reasonable rule to never kill the messenger. However, that didn't keep Sesshōmaru from staring death after the hastily retreating lesser _yōkai_.

"If looks could kill…" Kagome sighed behind him, her tone in relaxed contradiction to the constant rustle of fabrics. To think that Sesshōmaru managed to hold off until they got to the springs – he had no qualms with sand, or being some distance above the ground – and just when he gets her blood boiling at a nice temperature, someone comes and disturbs them. They weren't even half naked yet. Well, he was, and Kagome's _hadajuban_ was proving difficult to tuck back into place, but it was still a huge disappointment. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone run away so formally."

The night had been going along so smoothly. The mood was perfect, the location desirable – for her. Again, he really didn't care about that sort of thing – and the goal was in mutual agreement. Or rather, it had been. Sesshōmaru longingly eyed the knot over Kagome's abdomen as she tightened it. He could almost feel his fingers working the straps apart, sliding along smooth skin down to her-

"Your eyes are going to fall out of your head, Lord Sesshōmaru," she mocked him, closing the distance and straightening out her handiwork on his own attire, which hung from his waist around his thighs, sleeves touching the ground. Deciding that this was completely unfair – it truly was. _Every_ judicial body would support that claim – he ignored the last four minutes and slipped his arms from the sleeves she attempted to cover them with. She looked surprised as he wrapped them around her once more. He brought her firmly against him, kissing her passionately. She was wonderfully compliant, melting into him like chocolate and hungrily returning what he gave. She called an end to it though. Well, she made a good attempt at doing so – repeatedly – and succeeded on her fourth try.

"I heard the message!" she broke into the desire-filled ambiance quickly, breathlessly, her chest heaving nicely. "Stop smiling down at me like that. Anyway, it sounds urgent."

"It can wait," he assured, gathering her close again, smirking as she began to be difficult.

"So can this." That statement sounded deliciously forced, and she licked her lips while staring at his mouth before darting her gaze elsewhere. "That poor guy was pale as a ghost approaching like that. I'm sure your mother was very _persuasive_ to get him to fulfill his orders. And that worries me, that she'd fret over something enough to look for you."

"Hn," he hummed in dismissive reply, slowly maneuvering around her defenses for another kiss. The way she 'blocked' him with her limited speed was utterly endearing, and his toying got him scolded for his efforts while she horribly deprived him of her. She backed out of arm's reach and brushed her fingers through disarrayed midnight hair with one hand, the other held up as a warding. He reined himself in to humor her wishes, the strategist in him plotting for how she would… _reward_, his patience. A sigh helped to relieve some of his internal pressure, and he gave a proper reply. "They are fully capable of dealing with matters without me around. She is most likely being dramatic." Kagome gave him a pointed, disbelieving look. "It _is_ possible."

"Hn," she mimicked, crossing her arms stubbornly. "Let's just head back. It won't kill us." He could beg to differ, and some expression must have relayed the message. "Well, it won't kill _me_. I don't want to come between you and family." He gave her a flat look. "… Well, between you and your duties, at least. Oh, stop _looking_ at me like that! We can continue later!"

"Agreed," he stated, gathering her up in his arms before she even had time to complain. "I expect that little matter at the _o-shiro_ to be finished well before sunrise, so that gives us the rest of the day to… 'reconvene'."

Her body temperature skyrocketed as she blushed. Her scent was so thick with embarrassment that he could have licked the air and tasted it.

The trip back was full of teasing touches and little pleasures, and it was with fairly good-natured spirits, amazingly enough, that Sesshōmaru began looking for his meddling mother. Kagome strode easily at his side, chin lifted ever so slightly with irritation. Upon their return a group of maids came hurrying after them. They left Sesshōmaru well enough alone, as well they should have, but fussed very politely and very noisily over Kagome, swarming her with suggestions on anything from proper clothing to food. By the look on his dear _miko_'s face, it was blatantly clear that she didn't understand what was happening. The maids would become much, much worse in regards to her wellbeing when they were actually mated, as opposed to her simply carrying a particular scent of his around, and they would become almost aggressive in their caretaking whenever she got with child – a new goal which put a smile on his face. He believed Kagome would be a particularly irritable female when with child, a challenge he would gladly face head-on time and time again.

His searching did not last long, to Kagome's relief. When Sesshōmaru opened the door, his mother glanced up, frowned in a surprised manner, and waved the attendants away while telling her visitors to come in. The women left in the hall made a variety of disapproving noises, and one commented that Kagome was to eat all the food she found before sleeping that night, which got her staring incredulously over her shoulder at the less than smoothly shutting door.

"My apologies for the abrupt summons," his mother graciously gave, ink brush flowing effortlessly as she resumed what she was doing. A small smile quirked her lips, one Sesshōmaru saw both pleased approval and, oddly, sadness in. She delivered her news, offered suggestions, asked if he was listening, told him he was a hopeless lout- Kagome giggled up at him, beaming with humor. Her hand had nestled into his a short while ago, fingers playing around in a distracting fashion. He was about to smile back when the half-heard conversation finally reached him, causing his back to stiffen ever so slightly as he glared at the woman sitting at the low table before them. A _lout_? _Hopeless?_

His mother stared back, humored, and he felt Kagome nuzzle her cheek against his arm which, as much as it annoyed him to admit, did wonders for taking the sting away from his pride and calming him. His mother looked amused, in an adoring manner, and he really couldn't bring himself to care about her feelings on what she witnessed. Kagome had _much_ to pay for when they were alone again.

"Have you called a meeting?" he asked. He was not hopeless, Kagome simply hindered him every now and again with certain, never before experienced actions.

"Messengers know when to approach with the news," she replied easily, setting brush aside on the ink stone. "Sheng has swallowed three times his volume in sake, and will not be ready for a meeting until daylight. The council will meet at dawn." Her eyes drifted to Kagome, a knowing smirk on her face. "I believe that will be enough time for the both of you to finish what my messenger must have interrupted."

The _miko_ on his arm flared up to shame a sunset. He was surprised that her face wasn't buried into his sleeve, and making it catch fire, for how mortified she smelled.

"Oh please," his mother scoffed in a very unprofessional manner. "Humans have no right to be so modest in light of everything else they are prone to doing. Now you two run off, and find some time to make me grandpups."

It was a wonder that Kagome's jaw didn't fall right out of her face as he gently yet firmly turned her back to the hall, leading her away.

* * *

Kagome was amazed that she didn't have to carry her jaw around. First the maids, now his mother – his _mother_! – with her mortifying fantastical comments! She was so humiliated and dumbstruck that it took her a while to notice how serious Sesshōmaru was taking her order; it _was_ an order!

"If you do not save enough blood for the rest of your body, you will faint."

Kagome scowled up at him through an impressive blush. She thought her cheeks would burst if forced to endure much more. Discarding all the readily available comments and snide remarks, she settled with a mild scoff. At least to start things off with. "_Men_… Actually, I think _all_ _inuyōkai_ are insane. _Stark_ raving **mad**. Put all of you together, and you couldn't know what decency was!"

A clawed hand slipped across the small of her back, resting nicely in the dip of her waist, and pulled her against his side as they walked. She made a face. "My point is now proven."

"Hn. At the very least, consider _inu_ to be courteous in general." The look he gave her was almost sweet, caring and warm. Too bad it was laced with a predatory gleam. "I do not have to wait until we reach my quarters, after all."

The threat moved like sludge through the canals of her brain, and each inch it slid made her eyes grow wider. She opened her mouth, and didn't know what to say. She couldn't call him on it, because knowing Sesshōmaru he _would_ do it for the point alone. Names would slide right off him, and make her seem childish, and denying him would only work for so long… Exhaling, hoping it didn't sound too much like a groan, she frowned up at him from under her lashes. "Do not make an enemy of a daily presence."

His hum was almost pleased, which made her bristle not for him being please, but for her feeling good about pleasing him so easily. She was a disgrace to women! She was weakening by the minute, being so close to him! She was-! _Right_ outside his bedchambers, and noting with shock the pleased look on the female servant's face as she slid open the door for them. Kagome was led inside, and she heard the door close and the woman's feet go padding away without having been ordered to…

Kagome wheeled away, and balked for half a moment when Sesshōmaru regarded her, frozen in the act of bending down to be closer to her face, or neck, or anywhere else he could probably woo her – which she had to admit was anywhere. "The nose!" she accused, poking her own to emphasize the declaration. "It's that damned nose! That's why everyone's acting so funny!"

He straightened, and if she didn't know what his intentions were, she would have been afraid at the determination radiating from him, along with some heated passion that she had shared in not an hour gone. "I should think that to be an obvious fact."

"What do I smell like?" The demand sounded odd in her own ears, and she blushed a little for it. "What's different? What are they responding to?"

The look he gave her while coming closer sent a wave of desire from her head down to her toes, where half of it stayed to tingle. The rest stayed between her bellybutton and thighs.

"Their reactions have nothing to do with you," he informed mildly, and she bumped into a wall. She flinched at its presence. She had been backing away? She didn't have time to be irked over him pushing her instincts before his hands planted to either side of her. _Kami_, he was so much taller, she almost had to crane her neck to meet his shadowed face. "The scent they respond to is mine, and I plan on enforcing it now."

The tingling intensified, causing her to rub her knees together a little uncomfortably. She'd feel much more comfortable if he provided the rubbing and saved her the trouble. That thought caused her cheeks to flare all over again. _"Where's all that damned audacity I had earlier?"_ There was nothing in her mouth to swallow, but her throat performed the act anyway. "But… They'll smell… _it_…"

"That is no cause for concern," he informed, brushing her cheek as he gazed down at her, a slow burning fire in his eyes. "It is natural."

"It isn't to _me_," she snipped back, head tilting slightly into his touch before she caught it.

The smile he gave her, full of all that she felt for him on a good day, nearly had her knees giving way, her desire building. "You will grow accustomed to it." Her eyes didn't leave his as his unoccupied hand smoothed over the plane of her belly, sliding up and tucking under her clothing to gently squeeze her breast. He waited for her moan to die before speaking again. "The sooner you do, the less time you will spend being embarrassed over such a simple matter."

"It isn't simple…" _Kami_, it was hard to sound stern while being fondled. She blinked, and cool air rushed in against her skin. She blinked again, startled over being half naked in half a second, and was brought up off her feet and sensually dazzled in a whirl of motion and colors. By the time her brain caught up with everything, she found herself kissing him with all consuming urgency, and laying on her back in his bed. Trying to clear her head, looked up, towards the wall near her head, panting, and lost track of time under a wave of delight as his lips assailed her neck, working down to her bared chest, his rumbling growls of pleasure vibrating the knot of sensation below her midriff. It could have been ten seconds or an hour before she felt the cords around her waist slacken blissfully, and the feeling had her noticing that she was stripping him as well, actually yanking the fabric from his back clean out of their bindings. It was quite nice to throw them aside, and soon joining them were the remaining bits of her clothing.

An old emotion surfaced, and her breath caught as his attentions stopped and he drew away. He actually wanted to _see_ her? The desire to cover herself was difficult to resist. _Kami_, these people needed to invent user-friendly razors. Mini daggers simply did not work well for her needs.

Feigning some bravery, she propped herself on her elbows. This examination would not have been so bad if she could have closed her legs, but his knees were quite in the way. She wondered if all virgins felt this way. No one had seen her down there since she wore diapers, and things were much, much different now.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, she tried to think of ways to make him stop his scrutiny. Nothing came to mind before he send all her fears running away. He didn't say a word, but the way he rubbed her inner thigh, almost in an encouraging manner, and his face… She never would have thought serenity to play any part in any of this, but there it was, a calm radiating from the _yōki_ he slowly released, hovering an good four inches from every part of him. She couldn't figure out how this _yōki_ felt unique, but when it touched her she gasped. Her skin lit on fire, waves of sensation rushing through her to her quickly overwhelmed mind. She could _feel_ him. Not just where his hands were on her inner thigh and now smoothing across her stomach, but all over, on her skin, in her heart, in her head, everywhere. Emotions settled alongside her own, filling her with satisfaction, achievement, joy… There was so much, and yet she was drowning, desperate for more.

Sesshōmaru might have been shocked – and was if the foreign emotions in her head had anything to say about it – when she reached up, took fistfuls of his long gorgeous hair, and pulled him down to her with a kiss. He could have been amazed when _she_ held _him_ firmly to her with one arm around his back, her other hand assailing the knots around his waist and nearly ripping the fabric apart. What she really paid attention to was the eager lust that echoed her own as she slid her body against his. She liked that, and did it again, causing another rumbling growl to resonate in her chest.

"Untie this," she demanded, voice hoarse, and she gave up on the knots with a sense of knowing he would comply, which he did with admirable promptness. Rather than kissing him again, she assailed his neck, wondering what she'd receive for that. Another not wave passed through her, and she dug her nails into his back, pulling him closer, and inhaled with a moan near his ear. Her whole body was all hot and bothered, tingling with need, desperate for him. She whimpered something to him, lost in a feeling of emptiness, needing him in a way she could never satisfy by herself.

"Yes," she moaned lightly, feeling a warm firmness press between her legs, exciting her nerves and intensifying the pulsing desire. She was going to go insane at this rate. His hot erection slid along her, rubbing her clitoris in a way that had her bite her lower lip and cry out, and her hips bucked up, seeking him, nestling the round head of his phallus into the outer dip of her womanhood. Want and need hammered her over and over again, begging silently for him to continue, desperate for more, pleading-

Pain shot through her and shattered everything into tiny, tiny pieces. With a shriek she scrambled away, the same pain lancing through her again, and her actions ended up making her fall off the bed. Getting to her feet hurt in a way she had never felt before, and with very different whimpers she hobbled, emotions assaulted and leaving her a bit confused.

Sesshōmaru was there in an instant, holding her in place. The _yōki_ was gone, but his worry was so evident that she could almost feel it herself. His hands held her arms almost convulsively. "Are you alright?"

Kagome forgot all about the pain for a moment, shock taking its place, and she whipped her head up with a wide-open face to look at him. The look of sheer terror matched his voice, and she couldn't help but stare. The poor bastard was absolutely terrified!

"Kagome!" he yelled at her, giving her a small shake. "Are you alright? Tell me!"

"I-!" Him being terrified was the most terrifying thing she had ever experienced, and her being stark naked didn't help at all. "I think so?"

The silence was so taunt you could have plucked a note from it. "What does that mean?"

"I'm-!" _"Damn it, Kagome, speak before he rattles your head off your shoulders!"_ "I'm a virgin!"

Sesshōmaru blinked at her. Twice. Three times before words came out. "What does _that_mean?"

"It means I've never had-"

"No, no," he interrupted, his expression still showing a fragment of the worry he held for her. "How does that apply to the present?"

It was her turn to blink. "It hurts…"

"What hurts?"

"Sex."

Blank ignorant innocence blanketed his face, and a small amount of confused shock pushed his head back a little as though it had punched him in the nose.

Before he asked the same question for a third time, she clarified. "I- _All_ women- All _human_ women are tender down there. At least, initially. It's supposed to get better, so I hear." Dear _kami_, why did she have to explain this to him? "Um, it's because you- _men_, are initially… _dry_, and erm, when- Oh, _kami_, when you- _Fast_… You know. And it- Um… Yeah…" She trailed off, not really knowing how to explain it without either using similes, which could be humiliating, or hand gestures, which could be mortifying. Taking a deep breath, she just plowed on. "It feels like your tearing a new hole in me until everything's moist! That's why I wanted the hot spring!" Her jaw clamped shut with a loud click, and she stared with mild horror into his face, waiting.

Of all things, he merely nodded, a considering look in his eyes. "I am sorry." She balked, and his grip loosened, released, leaving red imprints of his fingers on her upper arms. "I did not know."

"No no, it's okay!" she assured. _Kami_, she overreacted. Bad, Kagome, bad! "You couldn't have known, I don't blame you at all. I'm fine, just feel a bit sore, that's all, really!"

He nodded, in a solemn manner. If he showed her anymore new emotions that night, her brain was going to start oozing out of her ears. "I have never seen such a reaction. It is strictly a human limit, one I will keep in mind."

Kagome had more reassurances lined up for a mile on her tongue, but her mind put a halt to it until it was done mulling over his phrasing. Slowly, she frowned. "What do you mean you've 'never seen such a reaction'?"

Sesshōmaru's eyes widened for a moment before ice prince mask fell over his face, which angered her. He was hiding something? After all this time?

"You know I am not a virgin," he stated, voice almost perfect, but not quite.

"How many?" The question stabbed at her tongue and tightened around her stomach, but she pressed on, advancing on his naked self with her naked self, jabbing a finger at his chest. "You wouldn't say that only over Chiro. You sound like you're basing this off of more than her. Maybe more than a few. How many, Sesshōmaru?"

He took one step back, then firmed, refusing to retreat further. He was so accustomed to being around others who could sense a lie at a sniff, he simply never lied, and now began to skitter around the truth like a cockroach under a kitchen light. "You are making assumptions."

"I'll confirm them with your mom," she replied. "Over tea."

"It will be a dull conversation. There is nothing of importance to say."

"So say what's so unimportant that it requires you to avoid it." She was neatly boxing him into a verbal corner for the first time in her life, and the thought was thrilling, in a dreadful sort of way. "Tell me straight out. How many women have you taken to your bed?" A look crossed his face momentarily, and she ruefully altered her phrasing. "How many women have you had sex with in your life?"

Muscles in his cheeks popped as his jaws clamped, which was the only sign that he was having a very difficult time with this.

"More than ten."

Kagome could have slapped him, for the number _and_ the continued evasions. "How many more than ten?"

He dodged again. "More than five."

Anger built in her. "More than fifteen women? How many total? An exact number."

His cheeks twitched again. Making a noise of disgust, she marched over and threw open her small portion in his wardrobe, pulling out a thick _yukata_ and a narrow _makura-obi_. She was tying it all shut while marching past him for the doors.

"Where are you going?"

"Out," she bit at him, slamming the screen door shut so hard that it slid back open a bit. She stalked down the halls, mind boiling in anger. Fifteen? _More_ than fifteen? She was hooking up with a _whore_! She was going to get sick and die a miserable, rotten death because of some _yōkai_ STD, and then she'd have to haunt him until her spite turned her into a succubi so she could then rape his very soul from his body.

Her automatic pilot had her stepping into an unlit room and slamming the door shut, the darkness bringing her out of her miserable thoughts. Trying to recall where she was, someone spoke.

"Now what could possibly bring you here, dressed and smelling like that?"

"Oh!" she gasped, stepping back for the door. "I'm so sorry! I heard you were under the weather. Sorry, I'll just go now."

"Calm down, girl," Sheng assured some distance away. "One moment, I'll get a light, and we can speak more comfortably."

She had about four seconds to wring her hands, ashamed for just barging in on him, before a single flame lit the room to a soft, somewhat dark glow.

"Is that better?" the old _yōkai_ asked, setting it down. "Can you see?"

"I can see you," she assured, glancing around. "Can't see in that corner too well, but I can see you fine. Thanks."

He nodded, and had a seat, gesturing for her to come over and do the same, which she did. He was still fully clothed, making her feel a touch uncomfortable. Him not giving her clothing even a questioning glance helped a little.

"Where is Sesshōmaru?"

"Probably still in his rooms," she replied, sensing him out without a second thought. "And in a temper. Sheng, how many women has he slept with?"

The elder blinked, then chuckled to himself. "Ah, so that bit of past is finally coming out. And at such an inopportune time, too. What has he told you?"

"More than fifteen." Glaring, she pressed him for information. "How many, Sheng?"

"That is for _him_ to tell you," Sheng replied, remaining upbeat, which kept her spirits from plummeting further if nothing else.

"Getting that number out of him was like pulling teeth from a crocodile," she fumed, glaring at the base of the small, simple lamp.

"To be honest, I don't blame him," Sheng admitted, continuing and refusing to regard her glare. "After Chiro, anyone would be cautious about the subject with you. It is normal for any male of our species not only to have multiple mates but also to have intercourse with several females in order to acquire those mates. Part of that is to help decide who to keep as a mate. This is normal for males, and tolerated, sometimes even encouraged, by females. Take Li Hua for example. She stays here because she was the alpha female of her mate's personal pack, and produced the strongest heir, though only one. Sesshōmaru grew up with a litter of siblings though, most of them dead now, and with multiple women who treated him as a son. This lifestyle has been fixated in his instincts, and asking him to make the changes he is making without request from you is very inconsiderate to say the least, as far as any _inu_ will see it."

Kagome could only stare. "But…!"

"No buts," Sheng interrupted. "Sesshōmaru is doing very well, now that he knows you will promise yourself to him. He's a good lad, despite what your upbringing says, and he is working for your approval on a daily basis." Her teeth snapped as her mouth shut. "If you want others to compare him to, look at the council. In our days, we all had personal packs, though time has brought an end to seeking fertility. Tao still has three of his seven mates from youth, and Le has two females who dote on him in private right here in the _o-shiro_. Li misses her mate in China, and Shu Fang still mourns the passing of hers."

Feeling a little bad over never, ever having assumed anyone would have had a family in the council, Kagome ventured to ask a question. "How many kids do you have?"

Sheng sighed, a clawed hand scrubbing through his hair. "Twenty-three."

Kagome nearly fainted. "What? How old? Where are they? I'd love to meet them!" At least, she thought she would, if they were anything like their father.

The smile he offered was a tired one. "I would have loved for you to have met them as well."

His wording gave her pause. "Will I?"

His head shook slowly. "Not until you pass into the next world, my dear."

Her facial muscles slackened with shock, and then pinched with sadness. "What happened?"

Taking a loud inhale, he shook his head again. "That was a long time ago. Long before Sesshōmaru was even born."

He was evading the subject, and Kagome respected that. "Well, they better not be reincarnated until I get to meet them then."

Sheng smirked. "Ah, they'd love to meet you, but you have a long life ahead of you yet, so don't get their hopes up." He smiled genuinely at her. "Listen dear, I know that you have notions of what's right and what's wrong. Everyone does. What I'm asking you to do now is to make a few sacrifices, for your sake and for Sesshōmaru's." Sheng's calloused hand rested over hers on the table, patting it. "His past has nothing to do with your present and future. Regardless on whether he's slept with twenty, fifty, a hundred, even a thousand females, that does not change his feelings for _you_, nor yours for him. _You_ are the female he is seeking to mate. _You_ are the one he chooses to impress, _you_ are the one by whom he judges himself, and _you_ are the one he is deciding to bond for life with. There are many promiscuous beings in the world, many who will seek the temporary comfort of another for all their lives, but you, my dear, have caught the attentions of a member of the _inuyōkai_ clan, and that is an open door to a very rare opportunity, one for a long, earnest relationship which will never stop burning in your heart, no matter what happens. Do not allow morals or opinions based on less than thirty years of young life affect a shared lifetime that will last for centuries. Do not deprive yourself of that flame."

Kagome stared, blown away. He just cracked open her head like an egg, added some ingredients, and put it all seamlessly back together in the shell. Her hand was patted one last time, and Sheng laced his fingers over a drawn up knee, nodding at nothing. "You should go to your mate, Kagome. You being here will have him in more pain than you can possibly imagine."

She was walking back down the hall within moments. Within a few more she was running, as fast as she could, legs pumping underneath her as she flew down the halls. She made it to his quarters in record time, panting and gasping in the doorway to his sleeping chamber just as he tied his own _yukata_ closed with a _kaku-obi_. She watched him watch her. He was waiting.

Closing the door, she ran to him, jumping into his arms and swinging her own around his neck. The hesitance he expressed in the seconds before embracing her stabbed into her heart, and she sobbed before knowing she was crying.

"I'm sorry," she blubbered. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Those words sounded very familiar, but she gave up trying to recall who had said them while listening to him make small shushing noises, a hand rubbing her back.

"Did something happen?" he asked, which pained her all the more. She shook her head against his chest, probably staining the _yukata_. Wiping her nose with her sleeve first – thoroughly – she slid down to her own feet, cupped his face, and went on tiptoe to kiss him. It was a sweet kiss, one of many of its kind she would share with him once the new-love fires began to calm. When it ended she hugged him, listening to the slow rhythm of his heart with the side of her face pressed to his chest.

"I love you, Sesshōmaru. Your past won't change that. I'm sorry for judging you as a human."

"Hn," he hummed, petting her hair. "That is only natural. Do not apologize."

His words only drove Sheng's that much further home. "I've wronged you," she continued. "In so many ways. I don't know if I can ever make that up to you."

Some light laughter filled her ear. "You will have centuries to try, if you choose."

Smiling, she hugged him tighter, enjoying the feel of him. She hadn't learned yet how to live as long as him. Maybe she never would. So she would have to make the best of things while she still could.

"Sesshōmaru?"

"Hm?"

His hand felt nice in her hair, soothing her rumpled emotions, banishing bad thoughts, comforting her with his presence. She couldn't imagine life without him. She didn't want to. And not with just the two of them.

"I want to have a baby."

The petting stopped, and she smirked, rocking them side-to-side, him letting her rock him. She grinned, thinking on how carefree he was with just the two of them. No one else saw that side of him. No one else was given permission to.

"Now?"

She laughed, wiping at her face again, sniffling. "Well, I have to get pregnant first, don't I?"

She didn't have to say anymore.

* * *

Li Hua watched as Kagome quickly built up her pace to a run down the conjoining corridor. Walking into it, she stared after the girl, who was now a jumble of emotions all bundled together into the little _miko_ who had worked her way into all of their hearts in one way or another.

Shaking her head – everything would work out well – she glanced to the side, and saw the open sliding door to Sheng's quarters, with him seated at a table. She resisted the desire to duck away, watching him. He did not look well.

Without looking, seeing as a weathered hand was covering his eyes, propped there with an elbow on a drawn up knee, he reached under the table, and a small secreted jar came out. Undoing its seal, he took a long drink from it, and actually winced with the last swallow. She couldn't think of many drinks to do that to him.

She turned around and left, wishing she hadn't stayed. She didn't know much about Sheng's past, but that was unnecessary. She knew he was in pain. It was made obvious by the fact that he was crying.

* * *

**A/N**: Aaw, I'm so mean, I know. Okay, here are the promised endnotes. I'd again like to thank all of my supportive readers, this chapter would not be here without you. Some things I'd like to address in case anyone asks me:

1. Yes, this chapter needs some editing. I will get to it within a few days. I feared though that if I didn't post it now, I'd get stuck editing it over and over again (again) and just killing everything. So I've posted it now, and I will make it prettier later. :)

2: I'm sorry if the writing style is different, hopefully it's in a good way. Everything will be rewritten once this story is done so that it all matches up later on, just bear with me. Again…

3: Sorry, the story got a little limey, somewhat lemony, on fanfiction. I said it wouldn't. I lied. It helped with the writing vibe though.

4: If something seems out of tune (as in, I've written something that doesn't match up with past chapters or past facts), let me know. I have not read my own writing in a very long time (the really early stuff actually makes me go red in the face when I re-read it), and I have most likely forgotten some things. Yes, even though I thought of them. Another one of my less-than-epic moments I feel while updating now.

5: Something which helped me a little, and which may help you, was a video on YouTube. Uploaded by AgentXPQ, it's called "How to Get Out of a Rut", and it struck home with me on a few notes. I felt inspired, because despite how silly the video was, he still uploaded it, so despite how silly this chapter may have been (or maybe incomplete on some notes, again, sorry), despite that, I uploaded it.

6: *sobs* I'M SORRY! It's been over a year, and I've been kicking myself in the butt since the second month of not updating. Trust me, any kicking you wanted to get in has been done, please feel gratified for my thoroughly bruised ego. :)

7: Thanks for reading this far. I love you guys, and always will. Part of my not updating is due to not wanting to face any disapproval, especially if the chapter wasn't 'all that' or not 'worth the wait'. I hope it was, and if not, I'll do my best for the next chapter (but this time, not to a point of delaying so damn long).


	11. Progress

A/N: Chapter 11! ^_^ I hope you enjoy it. Also, I've made an account on Dokuga (.com), which is where the editing of this story will take place and where some new stories have appeared. For a link, visit my profile on this site.

**Brief glossary**: (I'm using some new terms, honorifics for certain status'. Go to my home page to find a link to my alternate account if you want to see a larger glossary.)

_Denka_ - Used to address a non-sovereign prince or princess (meaning they are _eligible _to rule but don't yet)

_Heika_ - Used to address the ruling sovereignty, such as the emperor, this honorific is reserved for those of highest status.

_Hidenka_ - Used specifically for addressing a consort of a prince, a position which held honor and respect.

_no kimi_ = lord or lady (non-sovereign) of a court, or it implies that the speaker has great respect for their addressee.

The thing I found interesting about these honorifics is that they are not suffixes (in other words, they do not 'attach' to a name, such as Sesshōmaru-_sama_). I had thought that all honorifics such as -_chan_, -_kun_, and -_san _were suffixes, but I discovered differently.

Okay, back to the story, please enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 11

_Progress_

Sesshōmaru woke to Kagome nuzzling up to him under the blanket. When he opened his eyes they felt far too heavy, but the thought merely put a smile on his face. They had quite the strenuous night.

Shifting with her, he pulled her naked body flush against his own, and buried his nose in her hair as she hummed in her sleep and cuddled even closer. Yes, it had been a very, wonderfully, strenuous night. One he would be repeating in his head throughout the day and hoped to repeat in person later that night.

Sighing, he gently extracted himself from her entangling hold – one he very much wished to remain trapped in – and quietly padded around the room and got dressed for the day. Her hearing was not as acute as his, but still being an hour before dawn he was not ready to test her becoming startled by rustles in the silent darkness and lashing out with her spiritual powers. Or picking up objects – like his swords, or every drawer from the wall – to chuck his direction. He was not in the mood to dodge her half-conscious attacks, and fully expected such a scenario at _least_ five times over the next decade. This morning would not be one, and that was guaranteed as he slid the last rice paper door shut.

An urge to stake his territory shot through him. Leaving Kagome, asleep, with no personal guards loyal to the death, bothered him. It hadn't so much before, but things were not the same between them now. He wanted to set protection of his own for her, to put in place things to terrify anyone even walking past.

"The door may catch fire if you glare at it for much longer..."

Sesshōmaru smoothed his face and regarded Sheng, standing a good thirty feet down the hall and watching. People were sneaking up on him too easily of late for their own good.

Sheng jerked his head slightly down the hall before starting off that way himself. Sesshōmaru followed, eying the door one last time. The hair on the back of his neck wanted to stand as he tried to settle his ruffled instincts. If Kagome did not require rest on a nightly basis he would have her walking by his side to the meeting.

"It gets easier," Sheng reassured out of the blue once Sesshōmaru matched his pace. "The urges. I am certain that Kagome would not... appreciate, some of our ritualized instincts."

Sesshōmaru's mood soured. How was he supposed to be taken seriously at the meeting if his emotions were sliding down his sleeves and dragging noisily behind him on the floor? He was better than that, and began to mentally snip some strings.

"Then again, her humanity may permit a prompt mating, which would certainly not go amiss."

"Is Kueng nosing around?" Sesshōmaru inquired.

"You ask for obvious answers," Sheng commented with a slight quirk to his lips. "Try not to do that during the meeting. We would not wish you to seem inept with only a taste of satisfaction."

That was a wonderful way to start Sesshōmaru's day off on the wrong foot.

* * *

Kagome woke that morning in a whole pile of fur. It took her a few moments after sitting up and looking around to realize it was Sesshōmaru's fur, which she smiled over. Memories of the night before had her smiling even more as she reclined into the fur and cuddled it, blushing. While a part of her couldn't help but to be embarrassed over it, another was wondering why she hadn't done it sooner. Her two sides reached an agreement that they would have to catch up on lost time and left it at that.

Sighing, she propped up onto an elbow and looked at the wall of _sh__ōji_ doors. The _fusuma_ were letting in a bit of light, giving her unlit area of Sesshōmaru's quarters a slight glow. Getting up was interesting, since the fur insisted on joining her. She settled it across the small of her back and in the bends of her elbows, getting gooseflesh as it hugged itself against her. The rest of getting up was just as bad. Cursing Sesshōmaru's adequate eyes, she tripped over abandoned bits of clothing strewn across the floor before finally sliding open the doors and getting some more sunlight.

Twin voices echoed, "Good morning, Kagome_ no kimi_!"

Kagome caught a shriek in her throat, making an odd noise for it, and folded her arms to her chest, Sesshōmaru's fur cascading down the front of her body.

"Don't be shy!" one of the young girls cooed, dressed in a pink _kimono_ with white decorations and a thin red _obi_, appearing to be no older than thirteen.

"We're here to tend to you," the other informed, having the same green eyes as her twin and the same blond hair, pulled back into simple buns and decorated with a strip of cloth. Her outfit consisted of a white _kimono_ with red decorations and a thin pink _obi_, making Kagome think about twins in the junior highs from her time.

"Are you hungry?" the first inquired, for all the world as hyper as a hummingbird on steroids.

"May we dress you?" the second asked, perking up a little at a thought. "Would you like a bath?"

"Oh, yes! She likes baths, right?" the first asked her twin, who nodded with a wide toothy grin.

Kagome's jaw ceased its flapping and she settled on a question. "What are your names?"

The twins' faces snapped forward and flooded with red. "Sorry!" they chirped together, instantly bowing at a most extreme angle.

"How rude of us!" one whined.

"Please forgive us, Kagome _no kimi_!"

Kagome reined in her flabbergasted reaction and cleared her throat. _She_ was the one standing naked there, and _they_ were the more embarrassed? "Stand up." They obeyed so quickly that she was surprised the air didn't snap against them. "You're fine. Just introduce yourselves, and we'll go from there, alright?"

Their eyes sparkled.

"Please call me Taemi," the first girl chimed.

"Please call me Taeko," the second sang.

Kagome nodded, trying to pinpoint some physical difference between them so she could use the names properly. "It is very nice to meet you."

The twins faced one another quickly, off in their own little world. "Kagome _no kimi _is so nice!"

"Please call me Kagome in turn," she requested. She had always feared too proper of titles in the _o-shiro_, but hadn't figured that they'd increase after her first night with him...

"Please forgive our disobedience, Kagome _no kimi_!" Taeko begged. "We cannot disrespect our Lady in such a manner."

Smirking over their antics, she leaned forward, bending at the waist. Their green eyes grew wide. "It is not disrespecting me. If you want, call me whatever title you deem fit in front of others, but when it's just the three of us, call me Kagome. Okay?"

The girls eyed one another, and after a non-verbal debate they nodded and bowed to Kagome again. "We will do as you wish."

That had her grinning. "Thank you, Taemi-_chan_, Taeko-_chan_, I appreciate it. Now, you mentioned a bath?"

Despite their apparent age, it was obvious that the girls were experienced, and Kagome felt like a toy doll being handled by them despite all the requests for permission. As they busied themselves with her, she asked about them. Their family lived in the _o-shiro_, and they had come of age to serve a lady as of last week. They were assigned to Kagome by Li Hua, and they were determined to prove themselves. It was while they manipulated her hair that she asked about their plans on their futures.

"We would be honored to stay at your side, Kagome," Taemi replied, an answer which deserved a firm confirmation from Taeko in the form of a nod and a strong 'hm'.

"But what about having families?" she asked, eying the pair through the hand mirror she held.

"A lady's maid cannot have a family and do her job properly," Taeko answered, their work not faltering.

"I plan to be alive for a very long time," Kagome told them. "You will come of age for a mate by then."

Taemi blushed, and got nudged by her sister who answered, "We would be honored to stay at your side, Kagome."

"You aught to know that I won't ask you to put your lives on hold just to brush my hair," Kagome informed. "If it requires dismissing you, I will when the time comes."

Horror crossed their faces, and their clawed hands definitely stilled at that.

"That probably won't be for a while though," Kagome reassured in what she hoped was a calming voice. "I may already have several children before you are old enough for a mate."

That had the desired effect of changing the subject, one which the girls attacked with great enthusiasm. Kagome found herself clarifying differences between _yōkai_ and humans. Being pregnant for only nine months shocked them as much as the eighteen month pregnancies of _yōkai_ shocked Kagome. They struck up a debate on whether or not Kagome could even get pregnant, which Kagome found herself to be listening in on as the girls threw facts at one another like they were snowballs. It left Kagome with some doubt on that note, but if _yōkai_ females had to suppress their _yōki_ to get pregnant then Kagome could reign in her _ki_ in hope.

_'First I don't want anything to do with his genes, now I can't get them off my mind.._' The thought would have irked her more if thousands of variations of how hers and Sesshōmaru's children could look hadn't flashed through her mind.

"What's on your mind?" Taemi inquired, watching Kagome's face.

"I bet you're thinking about Sesshōmaru _Denka_." Taeko teased.

Kagome smirked, and waved her hands near their faces, sending the girls flinching back with giggles before resuming their work. "I was wondering how our children could look."

"Oh! Beautiful pups!" one of them chimed.

"Very pretty!" the other sang.

Kagome smiled over their continued chatting. A knock came at the door, and one of the twins ran over to answer it.

"Kagome _Hidenka_," a servant greeted with a bow, walking before her chair before bowing again and proffering a folded piece of paper. Curious, she took it, undoing the classic folding and reading the small amount of writing.

_Come to the council meeting._

She laughed lightly, wondering how bored he must be. She needed no signature to recognize Sesshōmaru's writing.

"Thank you," she said to the messenger, who bowed for a _third_ time before leaving.

"What does it say?" Taemi asked excitedly.

"Nothing much." She offered the paper, but the girl looked at it, then at Kagome, and repeated, looking more lost by the moment. "You can read it if you'd like."

"We cannot read," Taeko informed mildly. "Would you please tell us what it says? It smells like Sesshōmaru _Denka_."

"What do you mean you can't read?" Kagome demanded, turning around in her chair and making Taeko skitter with her hair.

"We were never taught," Taemi explained, worried over Kagome's reaction.

"Don't your parents know how to read?"

The girl shook her head. "Servants are never taught how to read."

Kagome stared, mouth hanging open slightly with disbelief. "What education have you received?"

"How to serve."

Appalled, Kagome dug for more. "Can you even count?"

"We can count to fifty," Taeko defended, still fussing with her hair. "In case there are many guests to serve."

"What is thirty plus twenty?" Kagome asked.

Taemi blinked. "Plus?"

"What is the total number of _obi_ when you add thirty _obi_ to a pile already consisting of twenty _obi_?"

The girl immediately began to count on her fingers, starting with twenty...

"Please finish my hair," Kagome asked, settling back into a comfortable position. "I have a meeting to barge in on."

About twenty seconds later, Taemi hesitantly asked "fifty _obi _in the pile?"

* * *

The meeting was quite dull, with discussions pertaining to trade, the status of Edo and of the human capital, Kyoto. Soldiers found lingering groups of Bashamon's people on a daily basis, adding them to the forts in anticipation of future orders. Bashamon's seal also needed strengthening within the next two days, or they would have issues with hunting him down. It was on that note that Kagome entered, dressed from head to heels quite beautifully, wearing his fur around her waist and arms in an appeasing manner. Her two fresh servants hustled in uncertainly, keeping their eyes downcast. When the door closed the girls collapsed into _kowtow_ bows – with toes, knees, forearms and brows to the floor – before Kagome's open mouth could utter a sound.

"I apologize for my grievous lack of self-control, for being a nuisance and for intruding so suddenly and rudely." the girls said, impressively at the same time. Kagome kept her mouth open while turning her head back, then down to the ground.

"Stand!" she yelled at them incredulously. "I told you not to even bother with following me in. You don't have to- Get your heads off the floor this instant!"

"They are apologizing," Sheng informed calmly. "Would you care to explain why this is necessary, Kagome?"

Her incredulity turned to the rest of the room. "I don't know."

"Then why are you here?" Li Hua inquired, thoroughly amused by the incident.

"To sit for a cup of tea, I suppose," Kagome answered, frowning at Sesshōmaru. "I wanted to talk about education and who should receive it, if the opportunity arose."

The twins pressed their heads more firmly against the floor.

"Very well," Sesshōmaru's mother permitted. "The conversation is yours to lead, for the moment."

On the spot, Kagome's gusto began to wan, but she stiffened her spine and pressed on with her concerns. "The servants can't read, or do basic math."

"They have no need for such instruction," Tao informed. "It would be a waste of time, money and effort."

"That is not a waste," Kagome argued. "It's opening their world, giving them the right to chose what they want to do."

"Indeed," Shu Fang agreed over her tea. "After training them to read and how to reason, they are left to chose what? To leave after they have obtained a free education? To read things they have access to but not a need to dapple in? To rebel?"

Kagome stared, in shock.

"Knowledge is a powerful thing," Sheng informed calmly, his _sake_ being refilled. "This is why, typically speaking, only the powerful have access to it."

"What if the education wasn't free?" Kagome asked.

"Then they would certainly never receive it," said Sesshōmaru. "Perhaps things are different in the future, but they are how they are in this era for a reason."

Kagome shook her head, in denial. "It's so cruel though." She glanced down at the twins. "You basically make them animals, working for food and a place to sleep."

"Servants," Li Hua addressed, grabbing the attentions of eight in total. "Do you appreciate your daily lives as they are now?"

In unity, the reply was "yes, _Heika_."

"That's a lie." Kagome practically shook with horror, gazing around the room. "They're too ignorant to know any better."

"Exactly," Li Hua stated coolly. "Therefore, there is no problem to solve."

"No. It _is_ a problem." Kagome's brow was furrowed in thought. "The reason just hasn't exposed itself yet."

"And what do you suppose the reason is?" Li Hua asked, showing a remarkable amount of patience.

"Taemi, Taeko, please bring in a handful of paper, ink, and brushes. I would like to write something." The girls hesitantly glanced up, and when no qualms were made they bowed themselves out, running down the corridor. "Sesshōmaru?" He focused his attention on her, waiting as she phrased her question in her head. "For how many years have you been tutored?"

"For far too many," he jested.

"And yet clearly not enough," his mother added. Sheng chuckled over that.

"How many years?"

A part of him wished to know where she was going with the inquiry before answering. Deciding to trust her, he merely answered. "Roughly six hundred and thirty."

"What have you studied?"

Everyone settled down, dreading the topic An exact answer would take some time to deliver. "Many categories relevant to my station and future."

"How about Dutch?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Hm. I never learned it. In five hundred years, it will become less common. Almost obsolete, actually."

"That is very possible," Li hua indulged. "What is the point you are trying to make?"

"Did you learn anything about ecology? Do you know why earthquakes happen, or tsunami? Do you know how the moon came into existence? Do you know why volcanoes explode, why species die out, why the weather has seasons, how a breeze is created, what a plant needs to survive, what elements of the periodic table do when you combine them, or even what makes the earth spin in the vast universe while circling the sun?" Worked up, she looked around the table. "Do any of you? After-" she thrust her open hand in Sesshōmaru's direction, and he regretted playing any part in this, "over half a millennium of studying, after existing as intelligent beings for thousands of years, know these answers which humans, the future dominant species who will populate the earth by the _billions_, learn after ten years of public schooling?"

The twins returned, burdened with armloads of material. Kagome selected what she needed, and after setting things up began writing, kneeling next to Sesshōmaru and talking as she did so. "I've wondered why I never saw or sensed any _yōkai_ in my time. I'm starting to think it's because of your lifespans. No one likes change, everyone in my family bickered about the prices of products and how they always raise. It's no wonder then that with thousands of years ahead of all of you, you will not want to change, either." Sheng, at least, was openly curious over what she was writing. "You can't survive without change though. Old ways die, that's simply how societies work." Finished, she pushed the paper, allowing it to drift to the middle of the table. "This is a basic mathematical equation I learned before I was twenty years old," she explained. "Can anyone here solve it, or explain what it's used for?"

"This looks like a language," Sheng observed, smiling.

"Learning math _is_ learning another language," Kagome stated blandly, suppressed dread leaking out. "Is anyone going to try and solve it?"

Sheng drew the paper closer, studying it. After some time he handed it over to Tao, who frowned down at symbols which had yet to even be invented. As the paper circulated, Sesshōmaru watched as Kagome selected another piece of paper and began drawing. He soon recognized that she was drawing buildings.

"I'm sure you've noticed humans evolve," Kagome commented, not looking up from her work. "We used to be simpletons, scratching fleas out of our hair and running around naked to gather fruits. We've come a long way since then, and with every generation we change faster. In under five centuries we will have sent people to walk on the surface of the moon. We will develop weapons of mass destruction, weapons capable of sinking all of Japan underwater in one morning, weapons to make skin melt off of bones, or cause internal organs to rot into acid, or to make millions of people sick with a deadly illness. We will develop medicines to double our average lifespan, make tools to keep a body alive and functioning. We will be able to perform transplant surgery, cutting out a failing heart from a living person's chest and replacing it with another heart, or replacing a lung, a kidney, a stomach, almost anything. Our lifespan will increase, and our death rate will decrease. That's why there will be so many people in the future, and that's why we needed knowledge, to support ourselves." Finishing the picture, she put it in the middle of the table as well. "We will make buildings over six hundred feet high, out of rock we grind and mix with chemicals so it dries as a rock in the shape we desire, out of the metal steel which is strong enough to cut any normal metal forged into a blade in half with one strike, and out of glass, made from fine particle sand heated to temperatures comparable only to lava."

Her enthusiasm began to slip away, and it was Sesshōmaru's turn to view this mysterious mathematical equation. She reached over, and he allowed her to press it to the table. "This is an equation to tell you the area of a rectangle. In other words, how much usable space there is inside of a box. So a box with the length of ten inches, the width of five inches, and the height of five inches gives you an area of two hundred and fifty square inches to work with. This may seem unimportant, but that is merely because the reason hasn't exposed itself yet."

"To come full circle," Le butted in, appearing very bitter, "why would servants need to know the area of a box?"

"Why not know it?" Kagome asked. "If one of them knows, they can teach others, and from them new ideas can come forth. They can be the foundation for a very prosperous _yōkai_ future in Japan."

"Which leads into a subject everyone has been avoiding of late," Sheng spoke up. "I dream of an _inuyōkai_ city in Japan, and the more we have the more importance we have in the eyes of our kin in China."

As the old _yōkai_ continued, Sesshōmaru put his hand on Kagome's upper back. She was shaking slightly, and glanced at him at the contact. It was with a smirk that he bent closer to her ear. "They will think on what you said. I believe you have a point, but it is difficult to see."

She nodded, smiling slightly, and shifted closer, leaning into his side. He moved his hand to cross her back and rest on the curve of her hip, content.

"We have been over this," his mother stated, somewhat exasperated. "We can not do anything about our numbers when all eligible females remain in China."

"They would be willing to come if there was anything to come for," Shu Fang stated. "That would be easy to prepare, even a mating party for these two would do. The issue would be keeping them here. Our luxuries and valuables are nothing compared with China's."

"That would be fun," Li commented, smiling around the room before taking a drink of tea. "It has been far too long since I have attended a party."

"Is there a reason you can't trade?" Kagome inquired.

"Kueng has made trading with us unrewarding for merchants in China," Tao answered, harrumphing in annoyance. "The tax is preposterous, and the regulations are finicky."

"Could you sneak traded goods through other countries, like Korea or Russia? Or the Philippine islands?"

"Regulated. All of it."

"What about from someplace like India?"

"Kueng has his connections. No one will trade with us if they trade with him. We are self-sustaining, but that is all."

"Well... What about the Americas?" Curious looks were cast her way. "The land mass to the east across the ocean. Europeans will have settled on the coastlines closest to them by now, but the coastlines we're near won't be populated for many years now, and that's..." She grinned as she trailed off. "That's where all the gold and precious gems are, in the mountains."

"Gold," Sheng repeated, nodding solemnly. "And precious gems." He glanced around the table. "Mining. I dare say that our species is quite prone to digging when the right inspiration is available. Tao, what is the poverty level in China these days? I believe we have something to work with if rumors get planted in the right places around China."

The conversation lasted well into the afternoon, growing momentum. Kagome eventually excused herself, yawning from boredom and hungry. Sesshōmaru could have left, but he stayed, watching the future of his lands solidify in that very room. It was not until well past sunset that everyone felt the topic to be exhausted enough until the next meeting, and they parted with goals and duties in mind to set things in motion.

Sesshōmaru was quite happy with his own goals, and sought to fulfill them as soon as possible. To do so, he needed to find his mate-to-be, and to not give her a moment of privacy for quite some time.

* * *

Kagome lay on her stomach on the _futon_, Sesshōmaru's fur around her and nothing else as she made notes. It displeased her greatly that education given such low value, but she could not expect to give it any without putting effort into it.

She yelped in shock when a hand settled on the backside of her thigh, and twisted around to see Sesshōmaru. "You scared me!" she yelled, blotting him with black ink with a jab of her brush. "Why'd you sneak in here like that anyway?"

Without replying he leaned in and claimed her lips, which was not wholly unwelcome. His hand slid up to feel her bottom, and she giggled against his lips

"Hang on a sec." She needed to set her things aside. After finishing with writing down another idea. Hurriedly she wrote, and soon discovered that Sesshōmaru could be very impatient. "You kissing my neck and grabbing my chest is not going to make me write any faster."

So, of course, he tried teasing her body in other ways, making her squirm around his attentions and ask for a few more moments several times. She continued writing even after her idea was jotted down, enjoying the game this had turned into. It probably would have lasted longer if she hadn't dipped her finger into the ink bottle on the floor and decided to write on his hand. That led to roughhousing, which led to stripping, which opened the door to an inky, kinky night. Probably an hour later she found herself hot and sweaty, grinning to the ceiling and running her fingers through silvery hair as Sesshōmaru rested on her chest, catching his breath. It delighted her to no end to know that she could take his breath away in more ways than one, and she wondered how his heart-rate could escalate so drastically and not kill him as it throbbed against her upper abdomen.

With her free hand, she patted around the mattress and soon found his strong fingers. He shifted, likely curious as she turned his hand, twirling her nail lightly on his palm. It was nice, knowing he allowed her to play with him like that, and felt more than heard his small chuckle as his thumb and forefinger grasped her twirling one, pulling her hand closer. He minded his nails as they tucked between her knuckles, lacing their fingers, and he pulled her hand to his mouth, kissing it. She giggled over his charm as he lowered their hands to her chest, and he nuzzled in against her neck, using his elbow to tuck her in closer.

"You're so romantic after sex," she commented, scratching his head.

"Give me a moment." His tone surprised her for its deep, alluring nature. "We are merely taking a break from sex."

"We?" she teased. That one small word had her manhandled into a world of foreplay while he recuperated, and she had no complaints.

* * *

Sesshōmaru finished dressing in the dark, glancing periodically at Kagome as she lay sprawled on the _futon_, tangled in bedding and fur alike, asleep and exhausted for good reason. That thought put a smile on his face as he knotted his sash. He did have the male inhibition of requiring some time to recover after ejaculating – a wonderful sensation, that – but in the long run she would wear out before him every single time. The last five days had proven as much.

He left his rooms, that urge to stake his territory raising again. Stubbornly, he left as he would have a week ago, suppressing his instincts with every step. He left the _o-shiro_, and headed east. There was something he wished to take care of while he still had the chance, no matter how awkward it would be.

The moon rose higher in the sky as he traveled, but eventually he stopped outside of a familiar shrine. It would need to be modified a bit, but the core design looked correct. He glanced over his shoulder to the _goshinboku_, which was surviving its relocation quite nicely. Satisfied, he slid open the well house door, and closed it behind him.

He could feel it. The Well was functional, and waiting. Without preamble he jumped into its depths, and the ancient magic curled around him, sending him back in time. He and his father had not parted ways on a good note, but given the circumstances, he could continue things on a better note, and leave his predecessor to die with a clear conscious, knowing he in the end he had succeeded with his one true heir. After all, Sesshōmaru would want that from his children if nothing else.

* * *

"Like this?" Sango asked, tracing two fingers along the widest part of her hips.

Kagome shook her head, a broad grin spreading beneath her perpetual blush. "No, a little higher up. And they don't arc like a rainbow, they're sort of slashed down toward his..." Her face felt like it was boiling. "Um..."

Sango threw her head back and laughed, and her daughters looked up at them curiously before beginning to laugh with their mother just for the sake of laughing.

"Kagome, I have no idea how you can still be so innocent." Her friend recovered, checking her eyes for tears. "So, any other stripes? We've got face, wrists and ankles, and hips."

"That's all," Kagome admitted, rubbing the side of her neck with embarrassment but still smiling. "Hey Sango, do you know any tricks to make it... Well, you know... feel... um... better...?"

The _taijiya_ blinked, then made a big 'o' with her mouth. "Well, that is something you'll have to get used to I'm afraid. It will get better, and it should feel better after a short while each time."

"Well, yeah, kinda," Kagome admitted. She wished she had gone to the doctor in her era to see if any of it was her fault. "You know, I thought that being in water would help but-"

"Nu-uh," Sango corrected with a certainty. "That makes it far worse. If you're always in a hot spring or something-"

"No, no, just the once, and even that was brief." Kagome felt her eyes crinkle with some evil. "The tree was much better."

Laughter chimed in their little part of the meadow by the Well, around which the girls were now chasing one another with thin twigs, pretending they were swords.

"You know, I hear that while you're... 'having fun', if that helps you, you can always reach down and pleasure yourself a little."

Kagome felt her face could beat the sun for heat. "Um... I don't know if he'd like that."

Sango shrugged. "Who cares? Do what you like, he can get over it."

"Have you tried it?"

"Once."

"And?"

Sango grinned. "It helps, but I prefer it rough."

"Sango!" Kagome yelled with a wide grin. "I never would have guessed you to be a dominatrix!"

"... A what?"

Kagome's mirth ebbed a little as she giggled. "Insider's joke, I guess." Her gaze slid to the girls, and a warm feeling filled her chest. "Does giving birth hurt?"

"Like being eaten alive. But it doesn't last for ever, and the rewards are unimaginable." Sango captured Kagome's attention, smiling with her own, more genuine warmth. "Unimaginable, that is, until you're a mother. And speaking of, any luck?"

Kagome shrugged. "He claims he'd be able to sense it, but I'm not so sure after all this time. I feel bad about getting pregnant and not securing a long life yet, but at the same time..." She shook her head. "I never knew someone could _want_ a _**baby**_ with someone so badly. And not in a superficial way, more like..."

After a pause, Sango grabbed Kagome's hand from – coincidentally – over her flat abdomen. "It'll happen. I know it will."

Kagome sighed. "Yeah. I guess I'm asking for too much to expect things to move forward so fast. … I've been thinking, maybe... Maybe, being a _miko_, I won't be able to get pregnant though. Not with a _yōkai_, at least. Maybe it's never happened before for a reason? Maybe I automatically repel him?" The conversation between her personal maids trickled back. She had tried suppressing her energy, but so far it hadn't worked.

Sango angled her head, thinking, and shifted to a more comfortable position. After yipping at her daughters to not look down the Well without mommy and daddy, she spoke her thoughts. "That is very possible. But, you may be able to prevent it. If they can train you to subconsciously keep your _ki_ flowing to make you live longer, then what's to keep you from blocking it off and basically being a normal human?"

It was Kagome's turn to think. Perhaps her approach was wrong. Perhaps she needed to suppress herself on other ways. Or perhaps Sesshōmaru could help her. "Yeah, you have a point. Come to think of it, I've never heard of someone sealing _themselves_, so that does seem a little preposterous now that I think on it.."

"I am certain that no one has had reason to before."

They shared a happy knowing woman's moment, then looked off toward the distance. Kagome merrily got to her feet and began to pat bits of vegetation off of herself.

"That eager to leave?" Sango teased. "He's early. The guy travels fast if he went to Edo like he said. Well, he gets to see you daily, so I want my time until sunset with you."

"Oh? And what do you plan to do?"

Shifting Hiroko on her back, Sango considered the pinpoint of energy approaching. "I plan to test his reactions. I've never seen _inuyōkai_ behavior between mates."

Kagome rolled her eyes, and blew at her bangs. "It's interesting, I'll tell you that much." Then she grinned. "You're a _taijiya_ to the core, you know that?"

"It's not my fault that they're so damned interesting," Sango jested back. Their conversation died when Sesshōmaru arrived, and Kagome offered him a visibly bright greeting, wondering how Sango would 'test' him.

"You're early," the mother of three scolded, planting her fists on her hips in a very serious fashion. Kagome made her eyebrows raise; her knowing and resulting behavior could throw off Sesshōmaru's reception of Sango's acting. Said friend stepped forward and slightly between Sesshōmaru and Kagome. "Go away. I have until sunset with her."

"It was never stated that I should be excluded in that time," he informed mildly, approaching at an easy pace.

"It was implied," Sango attempted.

"No, it was not."

Kagome smiled inside. "_I_ thought it was."

Sesshōmaru stopped in his tracks, looking between them with varying degrees of patience, assessing them. Kagome felt her lips twitch, and his eyes immediately focused on her. Within three seconds she was giggling.

"I'm sorry, Sango," she laughed, walking forward and giving her to-be-mate a warmer greeting, wrapping her arms around his neck and getting onto tiptoes to kiss him. Sango tried to offer forgiveness, but gave up when the distracted audience didn't pay any heed. Kagome pulled away a short distance to whisper. "I've missed you. We've got some ideas to test tonight."

Sesshōmaru smirked down at her. "That sounds promising."

Kagome grinned wide, and after a final peck she stopped giving the twins something to stare at.

"Oh, don't stop, you two are adorable."

Flinching, Kagome swung her attention around, focusing on who now stood next to Sango. "Rin! If you keep being so sneaky, Kaede will start spanking you again."

The young teenager showed all her teeth in her cheesy mirth. "We both know she can't manage it anymore. I'm too big now." As she walked closer, Kagome stepped aside and put her hand on the small of Sesshōmaru's back, offering a hint of pressure to greet Rin. The glance he gave her without moving his head reminded her of the stoic _inugami daiyōkai_ she had known years ago.

"It's good to see you, Sesshomaru-_sama_." Rin then, surprisingly, regarded Kagome. "Since he's yours, may I have permission to hug him?"

Shock rippled through the _miko_ at the odd request, and when she looked to Sango for an explanation the _taijiya_ decided to watch her daughters and act innocent. It seemed that Rin's training was expanding into _yōkai_ behaviors. "I've never noticed Sesshōmaru hugging you before."

Rin wilted ever so slightly. "He has a few times. Kinda."

Kagome nodded. "In that case, I'd say you have some catching up to do. I insist that you hug him."

The look Sesshōmaru shot at her was twisted with inquiry, which gave way to surprise when Rin wrapped her arms around the middle of her fatherly figure. He didn't seem to know what to do as he stared down at the mass of black hair pressing against his chest.

"This is a common greeting in my family," Kagome stated absently. "I expect my future children to receive the same on a regular basis."

"Well, of course," Sango piped in, gathering the twins up into her arms. Kagome took one – she believed it was Sada – and gave a hug to the freshly giggling girl, who hugged her back with an enthusiastic hum.

"It's alright," Rin stated, pulling away with a bright expression. "Sesshōmaru-_sama_ has never been one to openly express himself, but I'm happy. Will you be staying for food?"

"Perhaps," he answered, glancing at Kagome.

"I'd like it," she offered. And just like that it was decided.

"I must admit," Sango commented some hours later, far past sunset. "He does have a way with kids."

Kagome felt quite proud as she looked over to where Sesshōmaru and Inu-Yasha were sitting and having a quiet conversation, which had started off with Inu-Yasha demanding to hear confirmations to the 'rumors'. After a moment though his nose began twitching, and Kagome noticed that it wasn't until then that Sesshōmaru willingly – in fact, almost eagerly – pulled his half-brother aside to talk. She wondered if Inu-Yasha noticed that Sesshōmaru was playing with the twins and two other village children while they spoke in low tones. It was a game of hide-and-seek, so to speak. If he looked at a child, they would giggle and go hide again some fifteen feet away, and slowly they would try and sneak up on him. Word of Rin's achievement spread like wildfire, and she was a hero and an inspiration to the younger children.

"A special way," Sango edited with a chuckle, adjusting Hiroko as he nursed.

"I like it," Kagome defended. "He knows that it's a game, but while indulging the kids he's not breaking character or making himself seem any less a lord."

"Hm. You know, I've been watching you two, and so far I've seen just as much change in you as I've noticed in him."

"What?" Worry shot through her, but Sango shrugged it off.

"It's normal," she assured. "In fact, I'd be worried if you remained the same. It's more adorable than alarming to see you take pride in him. You also fawned over him during dinner. I think _that's_ why Inu-Yasha choked on his food, not because Sesshōmaru left without explanation."

"He was being protective," said Kagome in regards to the last part. "He does that sometimes when I'm out of the _o-shiro_."

"And you like it."

Kagome smiled guiltily. "What can I say, it's nice to know he has my safety in mind." Just then he met her gaze, and she grinned over the small fissure in his expression. "I'd better go soon. I filled his head with promising ideas for later tonight."

"Hm," Sango acknowledged with a nod, covering herself and beginning to burp Hiroko. "Yes, you cannot expect a man to wait for ever with such thoughts in his head."

"It's fun to let them tease him though."

The goodbyes were brief but sweet. Rin hugged Sesshōmaru again, which he partially returned with one arm, and Kagome hugged everyone at least twice, including Sesshōmaru. Inu-Yasha was still demanding a private audience with Sesshōmaru in the near future to finish what they were talking about as Kagome took a comfortable seat on her lover's _yōki_ cloud, and jokingly scolded her _hanyō _friend to be patient or to be sat for however long it took Sesshōmaru to return. Inu-Yasha quipped that he'd rather be shot to the tree again and sleep through it since Sesshōmaru could and would hold out for centuries.

They left, and rose into the night sky. "Thank you for tonight." Kagome really did enjoy herself, and knew that if Sesshōmaru had his way he would have left with her shortly after arriving that afternoon.

"Do not thank me yet," he practically ordered. "The night is still young."

She had nothing to say in response, and watched via pale moonlight as he tucked his hand into the layers of fabric covering his strong chest. A pale folded cloth emerged in his hand.

"What is that?" Her question wasn't answered as he held the small parcel out for her. She took it, looking between him and the silk cloth, smiling. "Is it a present?"

"A meaningful one," he answered as she eagerly folded back the cloth. She gasped as two medium sized combs with long teeth were revealed, reflecting the weak moonlight with amazing brilliance. He took one, and used it to tenderly brush back hair at her temple. "Hair ornaments have great meaning to _yōkai _when exchanged between mates. I would like to put these in your hair on a daily basis."

Images of his mother's hairstyle flickered through her head, accompanied by descriptions Inu-Yasha had given when he saw his 'old man', and everyone in the council had their hair pulled back in some fashion. She smiled, fingering the comb still in her palm as Sesshōmaru worked. She didn't lie when she replied that she'd like that, her index finger stroking the familiarly shaped spine of the comb. "This looks like two crescent moons, back-to-back. Was that intentional?"

"It was." She felt her hair tug slightly as he gave the comb's final brushing a complicated twist and a tuck. He examined his work, then asked her to shift so he may put in the other. "I designed them."

She grinned shyly, fingering the vague engravings on the one already fixated in her hair. She couldn't see it too well in that lighting, but felt plenty of carved swirls. "They're beautiful. Thank you. I feel guilty about having nothing for you."

"I have everything I need right here." She could have kissed him for that, if not for the need to remain still as he worked. "By our customs, I am allowed to indulge you with this gift before the mating ceremony. Your gift is acceptable afterward. What 'idea' did the _taijiya_ give you?"

Kagome waited as he finished inserting the comb in her hair, then twisted around and launched herself at him. He pulled her into his lap as they kissed, and that craving to carry his child came about again in full force.

"I want you to shield me," she explained, running her fingers through his silver tresses. "For the next three days."

"That is not as easy as you seem to think it is," he replied, pulling her clothing away.

"Why?" Her own hands were busy with disrobing him in turn.

"It is difficult to divide one's attention from mating."

She giggled, pulling his head down so her mouth was near his ear. "I have faith you can manage it." She proceeded to nibble the side of his head, and noticed that they reached the ground in record time. It was fun checking a meadow off of her list, and the lengths of grass proved to be excellent tools of teasing. Before they started she felt him lock her energy away, and she didn't pay it much heed as they rolled fervidly across their playgrounds. As things escalated though, she could sense his _yōki_ shifting in her, changing from a steady stream to something akin to ocean waves on a beach. It was fascinating, actually feeling his attention and self-control slipping depending on what they did.

"We should think of a way to let your _yōki_ do its job without your attention," she stated, fingers laced behind his head as she lay over him, her body lifting and falling with his deep and hungry breaths. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then cupped the back of her neck and pulled her down onto his chest, hugging her. She wondered if all males craved physical attention like he did after they finished doing the dirty deed. _"They probably do. They're so adorable sometimes..."_

"I hear that practice makes perfect," he mumbled beneath her, fingers massaging her neck and working up to her head.

"That it does." She smiled against him, scratching his sides. He shifted at the contact, and let her know that he was done with the break. "Try again."

They did their best to disgrace that field up through the following morning, but their efforts in sealing her energy bore no fruit.

"This is hard," she murmured, tucked in against him as they lay on their sides. She yawned, proud of the new record she had set for herself but lamenting the consequences. It did feel nice though to curl up for sleep with him between their discarded clothing, her combs set safely to one side.

He hugged her from behind, kissing her cheek before settling back down. "It will happen, someday."

"Hmm." Her eyelids weighed far too much, and her thoughts were sluggish. "Sesshōmaru?"

"Hm?"

"I _can_ get pregnant, right?"

"We are both fertile and capable."

"But you believe that I'll get pregnant with you, right?"

She felt him nod against her neck. "Of course. I am too stubborn to tolerate a lack of progress after too much time."

Smiling, Kagome turned in his arms to face him, and nuzzled back in, hugging him around the waist. "I'm glad to hear it."


End file.
